Ballack is on high as Blues eye summit

Last night, Ballack stepped up again with a majestic first-half header to settle the nerves as Avram Grant's team dominated Reading but failed to compile the goals their superiority deserved.

During the extended absence of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, Ballack has established himself as the heartbeat of this team.

Chelsea ticked to his unhurried rhythm last night. They refused to panic when the visitors started at a high tempo and steadily imposed themselves on the game.

The Blues were not fluent and they did not run away with the points but they played with the efficiency of Ballack's Germany to equal a club record with a ninth successive win.

Very little has changed at Chelsea in four months under Grant, with the Israeli losing just two of his first 29 games at the helm, a record which equals Jose Mourinho's start at the club.

Just as under Mourinho, a trip to Stamford Bridge remains the most daunting of prospects, especially for Reading who arrived without an away win all season at a venue where the Blues had not been beaten in the Barclays Premier League for almost four years.

Grant's team came surfing into the game on a wave of confidence but Steve Coppell stuck with a decision to play two up front, despite losing top-scorer Dave Kitson with flu, ahead of the game.

Reading took a point from the same fixture last season and forced a string of early corners. The first glimpse of goal on the night fell to former Chelsea schoolboy Leroy Lita but his header was easily gathered by Petr Cech.

Stephen Hunt was enthusiastically booed by home supporters on his first appearance at the Bridge since the collision 16 months ago, which left Cech with a depressed skull fracture.

Shaggy-haired Hunt has been a hate figure among Blues fans ever since, and this was the first chance they had to properly vent their anger because he was an unused sub when Reading visited Chelsea last season.

There was no sign of Ashley Cole in the Chelsea 16. The England left back was given the night off to cope with the marital problems which have made front page news in the recent days.

With Wayne Bridge in such strong form, Cole has only started two Premier League games this year and last night's omission must cast doubt over his hopes of starting for England in Fabio Capello's first game, against Switzerland next week.

Chelsea had gradually taken command of possession by midway through the first half.

Reading's initial flurry burned itself out and cracks were beginning to open up at the back to expose Marcus Hahnemann.

Ballack swerved a free kick over before Hahnemann took off to his left to push clear a drive from Joe Cole, which seemed destined to rise into the top corner.

Shaun Wright-Phillips , relishing his new role in central midfield, wriggled into the penalty area but again Hahnemann exploded from his line to smother a shot.

Nicolas Anelka dragged a shot wide from the edge of the box as the pressure increased and Reading's goalkeeper denied Florent Malouda with the help of Hunt.

John Oster then came to the rescue, hooking clear from his own goalline when Hahnemann fumbled a corner, but the resistance was broken by Ballack's header in the 32nd minute.

Paulo Ferreira raced to the byline on the right and delivered a beautiful cross which invited Ballack to arrive with his usual sense of precision timing.

The German midfielder is majestic in the air in front of goal but this time he did not require his full leap to beat the diminutive Hunt and plant the ball beyond Hahnemann for his third of the season.

Ballack's aerial prowess was causing further problems for the visitors moments later. This time he glanced the ball to Alex but the big Brazilian's shot was wildly off target.

Ten seconds after the restart and Cole ought to have polished Reading off. Nicky Shorey was nowhere as Cole cut in from the right and ate up the ground towards Hahnemann's goal.

His low shot beat the keeper but faded inches wide of the far post and just out of reach of Anelka, who came sliding in. Wright-Phillips darted clear again to collect a long pass with an excellent first touch but his finishing let him down as he poked a shot into Hahnemann's legs.

Grant's team should have been coasting but their failure to find the second goal left them vulnerable to the counter attack.

Cech save bravely at Lita's feet and Kevin Doyle headed a cross from Murty back into the goalmouth but there was no one there to apply a finish. Hahnemann saved again. This time to keep out a close-range header from Anelka, but when James Harper missed a chance, nerves jangled among home supporters.