Robben keeps Chelsea on a roll

CSKA Moscow (0) 0 Chelsea (1) 1

Mission accomplished. Chelsea maintained their perfect start to their Champions League campaign and in so doing secured their place in the qualifying stages of the competition with two games left.

It was not a wholly convincing display last night; after Arjen Robben had claimed his first goal for Chelsea in his first European outing, CSKA squandered the chance to equalise when Vagner Love, their Brazilian striker, hit his penalty kick into the stands.

However, the result allowed Jose Mourinho, Chelsea's perfectionist head coach, to continue his remarkable love affair with the competition; for now he can dream of lifting again the trophy he collected with Porto last May. Chelsea took their points tally to a perfect 12 with a patient display that will allow Mourinho to rest players in the remaining ties.

Mourinho, whose side kept their 12th clean sheet in just 16 games, said: "When we started the Champions League group our objective was to qualify either as the winners or in second place and after four matches it's done.

"But I can promise CSKA that when we play PSG and Porto in the last two games, we won't change our attitude; if anybody believes we will ease off they are making a big mistake.

"We wanted to win and in the second half we defended like lions to go for a clean sheet."

Of Robben's contribution, Mourinho added: "He's an incredible player who we missed a lot in the three months he was out. Maybe he's not ready for 90 minutes yet but he has brought us a different dimension."

Mourinho continued his rotation policy by making four changes to the team who had won 4-1 at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. Robben, who missed the early part of the season with a foot injury sustained at Euro 2004 with Holland, Glen Johnson, Scott Parker and Ricardo Carvalho were in the line-up. Alexei Smertin had been ruled out with a muscle strain, Wayne Bridge omitted and Joe Cole and Paulo Ferreira dropped to the bench.

Roman Abramovich, Chelsea's billionaire Russian owner, appeared to be at home as he watched his team continue their good work. Chelsea, also watched by the country's former president, Boris Yeltsin, came under pressure in the seventh minute when, from a corner by Rolan Gusev, Jiri Jarosik headed down and wide.

Chelsea responded with a Frank Lampard free kick that struck the CSKA wall and Robben was beginning to tease and torment his markers. Switching wings with Damien Duff, he first threatened when he shrugged off a challenge from Sergey Semak, then pushed the ball around another defender, Sergey Ignashevich, before seeing his dangerous delivery cleared. Errors by Johnson and Claude Makelele put the Chelsea goal under temporary threat but in the 24th minute they counter-attacked quickly to take the lead.

Eidur Gudjohnsen, working hard in his role as a lone striker, fed Robben who exchanged passes with Duff. He fended off Semak's challenge and, seeing CSKA goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev off his line, sent a deceptive left-foot shot low into the bottom right-hand corner.

The goal settled Chelsea and before the break they could have scored again. Robben fed Gudjohnsen and the striker, forced wide by the goalkeeper's advancement, was able to direct a shot towards goal from a narrow angle but Semak cleared off the line.

Vagner Love, CSKA's Brazilian, forced Petr Cech to save well from 30 yards just before half-time and within 90 seconds of the restart, had the chance to pull level.

Johnson, who had an uncomfortable evening, fouled Yury Zhirkov as the striker entered the Chelsea area. Fortunately for the visitors, Vagner Love's penalty was reminiscent of David Beckham's miss against Portugal in Euro 2004 - the South American sending his kick painfully high over Cech and the Chelsea goal.

The second half continued to offer some painful moments for Chelsea; when Jiri Jarosik found space on the right his well-struck shot needed a good response from Cech who made a fine diving save.

Robben wasted the chance to add a second when he slipped as he met a Frank Lampard free kick and then Lampard himself was denied by Akinfeev.

The game was halted before the end when three red flares were thrown by home fans, filling the Lokomotic Stadium with a pall of smoke. Chelsea's European intentions are becoming far clearer.