London: Chelsea has a new "Special One". Avram Grant has done what Jose Mourinho never managed to accomplish with Chelsea, put the London club into the Champions League final.

"There's only one Special One," Grant said with a smile after Chelsea beat Liverpool 3-2 in extra time to reach the Champions League final against Manchester United.

"But this was special against Liverpool."

Grant hasn't had an easy time in the eight months since he replaced Mourinho, the self proclaimed "Special One".

But while Mourinho won the European Cup with FC Porto in 2004 before guiding Chelsea to two Premier League titles, he never got past the semifinals of Europe's top club competition with the Blues.

Under Mourinho, Chelsea lost to Rafa Benitez's Liverpool in the semifinals in 2005 and 07.

Frank Lampard, playing for the first time since his mother died of pneumonia last Thursday, scored from the penalty spot in the 98th minute and Didier Drogba added his second goal of the night in the 105th.

Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel scored for five-time champion Liverpool, which lost to AC Milan in the Champions League final last year.

"I thought we were very close. We played well in the second half, but the third goal killed it," Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said.

Lampard's penalty came only three minutes after Chelsea thought that Michael Essien had scored. But the goal was called back for offside.

Drogba scored the game's first goal in the 33rd minute by tapping in a rebound after Salomon Kalou's initial shot was pushed away by Reina.

Torres equalized in the 64th, knocking in a pass from Yossi Benayoun and sparking loud cheers from the traveling Liverpool fans.

After Lampard's penalty, Drogba added another by scoring off a cross from Nicolas Anelka, who had replaced midfielder Joe Cole at the beginning of extra time.

Babel scored the final goal in the 117th with a shot that slipped through the fingers of Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech.

In last week's first leg, Chelsea earned a 1-1 draw at Anfield off an injury-time own-goal from Liverpool defender John Arne Riise, who started on Wednesday.

Source : PTI