CHELSEA: TERRY OUT TO SILENCE CRITICS

Captain John Terry will lead Chelsea out against Manchester United in the Champions League final in Moscow insisting victory would finally silence their critics.Terry guided Avram Grant's team into the final to a electrified and thrilled 3-2 Win over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

The result, which helped Chelsea to reach the final 4-3 on aggregate, was achieved thanks to a brace from Didier Drogba and a penalty from Frank Lampard.Drogba, criticised by Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez before the game, put Chelsea in front on the night with a well-taken goal in the 33rd minute.Fernando Torres gave Liverpool some hope with a second-half equaliser as the game finished 1-1 for the second time and extra-time was needed.
Sami Hyypia then brought down Michael Ballack allowing Lampard, playing his first game since the death of his mother last week, to slot home a 98th-minute penalty and Drogba put the hosts 3-1 ahead on the night seven minutes later.A late goal from Ryan Babel gave Chelsea a scare with three minutes of extra-time remaining but Grant's side held on to reach their first Champions League final.And winning the trophy is something Terry is "desperate" to achieve.

"We won the Premier League two years running and we've won other trophies and it takes a great side to do that," declared Terry."But a Champions League trophy would answer a few critics and it is something I am desperate to win.
"Until recently we were not a club to challenge for everything. We'd win the occasional trophy like the FA Cup in 1997 and 2000 but we were never a problem for the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal, who have done well over the years."But they've all had to start somewhere and now we're at the beginning of that stage."
Meanwhile, victorious Chelsea coach Avram Grant was full of emotion after guiding the Londoners to their first Champions League final.Grant, who wore a black armband in remembrance of 'Holocaust Day' back in Israel, admitted his success was tinged with the sadness.
"It has not been an easy day for me," said Grant. "I don't know if you know but it is 'Holocaust Day' in my country. My father buried my grandfather with his own hands."I owe a lot to my parents. I don't like to speak about it but my mother came from Iraq and my father is a survivor of the Holocaust."He is the most optimistic and strong man I have ever seen. He buried his mother, father and sister with his own hands. But he never looked to the past only to the future even though he suffered a lot. It has not been an easy day for me, but now it is a happy day."I am proud about what we did but it is a little bit emotional for me. To create history in this in the first year as a manager, with all the difficulties we've had this year, we stayed together and did everything in a positive way, it means a lot to me.
"This is the time to say a good word to everyone in the club. Without the owner Chelsea would not be the club Chelsea is now. All my staff did a very good job and I am very proud of them."But Grant put aside his own emotion to pay tribute to England midfielder Frank Lampard, whose mother died last week.
"I think he is a brave man," said Grant. "He was very close to his mother and what happened in the last days has not been easy. He played well and he is a little bit happy now."Frank is the penalty taker. The only reason he didn't take a penalty against Manchester United on Saturday is because he was not playing."I took the decision to play him yesterday after training. We spoke about it and today I named the team."