February 24, 2008	Sunday	Safar 16, 1429

LONDON, Feb 23: Avram Grant will never hog the headlines like Jose Mourinho, but the Chelsea manager is developing a ruthless streak to match his predecessor and it could prove the decisive factor in Sunday’s League Cup final against Tottenham.

While Mourinho’s volcanic temper was always on the verge of erupting at any moment, Grant has seemed happy not to rock the boat since replacing the Portuguese coach in September.

That perceived passivity was portrayed as a fear of upsetting the assorted egos jostling for star-billing in the Stamford Bridge dressing room. But the reality appears rather different.

Grant left out captain John Terry and star midfielder Frank Lampard for Tuesday’s Champions League draw at Olympiakos and is keeping the club’s most iconic figures sweating over their places for the Wembley showpiece.

Lampard looks likely to return to the starting line-up but Terry, only just back from an ankle injury, could be sidelined by the impressive form of Brazil centre-back Alex.

It is a gamble that could make or break Grant’s Chelsea reign. If Spurs win on Sunday with Terry watching from the bench, the Israeli would be left in a precarious position.

It is safe to assume Grant hasn’t taken quite so long to ponder who should lead the attack for Chelsea.

Didier Drogba has developed a valuable knack of grabbing the spotlight on the game’s grandest stages.

He has scored in Chelsea’s last three cup final appearances, including a double to win the League Cup final against Arsenal last season.

The Ivory Coast striker, who also bagged the winner in the FA Cup final against Manchester United, is determined to be the main man again.

“I want to score in the final again. I have scored in all the finals Chelsea have played so far,” Drogba said. “I am a big game player.”

Drogba could play alongside Nicolas Anelka in a partnership that cost Chelsea a combined 39 million pounds, but Tottenham defender Jon Woodgate believes Tottenham boast an even more valuable strike-force.

Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane have scored 36 goals between them this season and Tottenham’s hopes of winning their first silverware since 1999 rest on the duo firing again on Sunday.

Spurs finally put to bed their woeful record against Arsenal when they beat the Gunners in the semi-finals, but now they have to overcome another dispiriting sequence.

Juande Ramos’s team have won just two of their last 42 meetings with Chelsea. It is an astonishing run and Ramos admits the Blues will be favourites on Sunday.

“We know Chelsea are a good team and probably go into the final as favourites because they are higher up in the league table as us,” he said.

“But anything can happen in football and we need to play with the maximum level of concentration.” —AFP