Despite his reputation for stylish, Samba football, Luiz Felipe Scolari was impressed with his side's ability to grind out victory at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

All the talk in the lead up to the game was how well Chelsea would be able to cope with Stoke's physical game, centred around their aerial threat at set pieces.

With no Rory Delap to rely on for long throws, the home side were forced to hustle and harry for every ball, forcing the Blues into a few mistakes and cheap surrender of possession, but all in all the Brazilian was happy with a battling display.

'It's impossible to play beautiful football sometimes. First you must win the game, second if it's possible okay, but it's difficult,' he said, weighing up style against substance.

'We try to play and the other teams sometimes don't try to, only to make you make mistakes. It's not easy in this situation but my team today and against Portsmouth, and I think in eight or nine games I am coach, played with good possession, and covering [each other] well. [There were] little mistakes with wrong passes or shots but the other things are very well.

'We needed to make one goal, then a second, after that work the ball and finish the game.

'If it's possible I play beautiful football, but it's fantastic for me to see my team on the pitch in good positions, covering. They play as I want and for me it is fantastic football, because I don't see the same as fans.'

Our opening goal came from an unlikely source, full-back José Bosingwa, who matched his willingness to attack with a killer instinct inside the Stoke area, firing a half-volley beyond Thomas Sorensen after Frank Lampard had released him.

'Bosingwa was one player that started as a midfielder. When Porto bought him one coach put him to right-back and he has power, and he can go forward 200 times a game,' Scolari said, perhaps using a little Latin exaggeration.

'In that time he improved more and was in the national team in Portugal,' the Brazilian continued. 'He is a very good right-back, he has height, can jump well, position well and cover the central defenders well.'

Stoke manager Tony Pulis was impressed with his side's opposition, and admitted that the Blues were worth our win.

'We sat off a little bit but they're a top team, have players all over the pitch and can hurt you from different areas,' he commented.

'It's like defending against the Blue Arrows, they're all over the place, but they didn't turn us over massively.'

Three points and top of the league, prior to Arsenal's home game against Hull this evening, makes it a successful trip to Staffordshire, with just one potential sour note.

Salomon Kalou was withdrawn at half-time after taking a knock to the ankle, and Scolari was unsure on the winger's fitness after the game.

'I don't know because it's the second time in the same leg, I wish and I think for Romania it is okay,' he said, before commenting on his other casualties.

'For Joe [Cole], I say nothing until tomorrow, but Deco and Ricardo [Carvalho] are out.'

Having coped without them today, there is a hope and expectation in the camp that we can survive another trip into the relative unknown on Wednesday, when we face CFR Cluj in the Champions League, our first ever visit to Transylvania.