Chelsea boss Grant ready to take on the league's big Gunners

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The manager has steered his side through a series of sticky games against lower ranked opposition and is now relishing the bigger challenges ahead.

Chelsea reached 15 games unbeaten with Saturday's 2-0 win against Sunderland, whereas Arsene Wenger's team slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough yesterday and were held by Newcastle last week.

Pumped up: Frank Lampard celebrates on Saturday after his penalty at Stamford Bridge along with fellow Chelsea scorer Andriy Shevchenko

Grant said: "I hope we can keep in the frame over the next two months. We want to stay there. Sunderland on Saturday was not easy. But now we have Valencia [who face Champions Leaue Group B winners Chelsea in midweek] and then Arsenal and those are the games you like to play all season, more than the games like Sunderland."

With the big clash looming, Grant has also challenged his side to show their character in the absence of striker Didier Drogba, who is effectively ruled out until mid-February after a knee operation.

The Israeli said: "It is impossible to replace Drogba because nobody else has the same power, pace and intelligence. But we have to find an answer. We have good strikers.

"I always say to the players that problems have to be fixed. We need to fix this. I think character is part of the game. We need to rise to the challenge. It's not impossible.

"I think we have a title-winning dressing room, but there are four teams in it and all of them have the quality to win the championship."

Grant can turn to reserves Andriy Shevchenko and Claudio Pizarro to fill the gap left by Drogba before the transfer window opens.

He said: "Shevchenko has scored goals without people realising. He's already got four this season. It is important for us and for him to score. It's what he's done since he was a child.

Back in the goals: Andriy Shevchenko opens the scoring against Sunderland

"I think Sheva will revel in the responsibility. He is certainly a great player, still.

"Now he has a chance - although I can't confirm that he will play every game.

"If you look at last season, he scored 14 goals. If his name wasn't Shevchenko, you would say that was okay. But you expect him [always] to play well."