Chelsea go digital in their defence over players charge

They believe footage shows other teams behaving identically, and a sense of victimisation is growing since the club received a second such charge of the season.

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They were fined £30,000 by the FA and warned about their future conduct after an incident when John Obi Mikel was sent off at Manchester United in September.

Now they are in trouble for the reaction which followed Michael Essien's red card at Derby last weekend.

Chelsea admitted the charge at Old Trafford but are fighting this time as they feel double standards are in evidence.

Included on the DVD is a clip showing the reaction by Arsenal and Wigan players to a challenge by Marcus Bent on Denilson last weekend.

United also feature because Chelsea still think pressure on referee Mike Dean played a part in Mikel's sending-off.

Tottenham's Robbie Keane led his team-mates in angry pursuit of Mike Riley at West Ham on Sunday after the referee had ignored appeals for what looked like a penalty.

If anything, Chelsea's DVD might convince the FA to introduce stricter measures to end the ugly images of intimidation.

In League Two, Barnet have adopted a policy where only their captain will approach the referee to dispute a decision.

It is a pioneering idea, applauded in principle by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

Chelsea were fined three times for failing to control players under Jose Mourinho — in the Carling Cup Final against Arsenal and two games within 15 days in 2006 against West Bromwich Albion and Fulham.

Now they have been charged twice under Grant, and West Ham manager Alan Curbishley suggested Chelsea were no different to how they were under the Portuguese manager.

Curbishley, in provocative mood ahead of today's derby at Stamford Bridge, also complained that the Big Four clubs received preferential treatment from officials.

But Grant, pointing to three red cards in eight Premier League games since he took charge, said: "None of them was a red card. If that means we are privileged, I don't want to know what the alternative is."

Grant was also unimpressed by Emmanuel Petit's claim that John Terry and Ashley Cole had lacked the commitment to play for England against Croatia this month.

Petit said: "They were not in the national team and they were playing for their clubs three days later.

"So, before looking for excuses somewhere else, putting the trouble on foreign players or managers, people have to be honest.

"Can you imagine me not playing a big game for my country and then three days later I play for my club?"

Petit did, however, refuse to play for Chelsea in a UEFA Cup tie in Israel in 2001 because of security issues, an irony sure to appeal to Grant's parched wit.

The Israeli said: "You can judge Emmanuel Petit by how he played as a player and then John Terry as a player.

"Everybody told John it was 50-50 ahead of the Russia game but he wanted to play, and he decided to train and because of this he missed six weeks with an injury.

"I'm not against Emmanuel Petit but I'm against what he said.

"My players did everything they could to play for England.

"Sometimes it's human nature when you're in front of a microphone."

Chelsea are unbeaten in 13 matches since the defeat at Old Trafford in Grant's first game at the helm and will extend their unbeaten home record to 70 Premier League games if they avoid defeat against West Ham.