07/10/2007  Bolton 0 Chelsea 1
 
Chelsea coach Avram Grant is suddenly seeing the bright side of football life.

He chalked up his first victory in the Barclays Premier League at Bolton here - on the back of the win against Valencia in the Champions League.

A cool finish from Salomon Kalou in the 41st minute was enough to overcome a stubborn Bolton side and bring a broad smile to Grant's face at the end of the game.

Kalou's strike was Chelsea's first goal in the league for 460 minutes.

The Blues had welcomed back Frank Lampard following a thigh injury - and the England midfielder was influential, showing no signs of the problem.

But they found it hard going against a Bolton side who have registered just one league win this season.

Chelsea should have made a perfect start when Steve Sidwell turned quickly in the area and found Kalou, who had peeled away from his marker inside 60 seconds.

But he sent a weak header into the arms of goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Chelsea had more chances early on.

Florent Malouda thumped a shot over the bar after being released by Kalou. Then Jaaskelainen was equal to Malouda's effort.

Bolton, however, were making a decent fist of it as Kevin Davies and Ivan Campo tested Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech.

Leading scorer Nicolas Anelka suddenly sprung into action in the 34th minute after a good ball from Danny Guthrie.

Anelka got away from Ricardo Carvalho, but Cech came out to narrow the angle and made a vital block.

It was an open game, and Kalou made space a minute later only to find the side-netting with his shot.

Lampard then fired in a 20-yard free-kick in the 40th minute but failed to test Jaaskelainen after Joey O'Brien had tripped Ashley Cole.

Chelsea made the breakthrough in the 41st minute when Kalou kept his balance, after getting away from Abdoulaye Meite, to find the corner with his shot.

The half finished with Ivan Campo, who had already been booked, given a stern warning by referee Alan Wiley after a challenge on Lampard.

Grant made a change at half-time - taking off goalscorer Kalou and replacing him with Claudio Pizarro.

Bolton had a chance of drawing level a minute into the second half when El-Hadji Diouf got on the end of a good cross from Davies but sent his header into Cech's arms.

Bolton manager Sammy Lee decided to switch things around in the 66th minute by bringing on Christian Wilhelmsson.

The Swede replaced Diouf, who had put in a hard shift and taken a knock earlier in the half.

Joe Cole tried his luck from distance for Chelsea only to see his effort sail over the bar.

Andriy Shevchenko, with just one goal to his credit this season, was introduced by Chelsea - in the 73rd minute for Malouda.

Anelka was expected to test Cech with a free-kick a minute later but sent his effort high over the bar.

Bolton almost secured a point in stoppage time, but substitute Stelios Giannakopoulos headed a cross from Anelka marginally over.

These are nonetheless worrying times for the home side and Lee, following the defection of Sam Allardyce to Newcastle.

For Grant, though, the future is looking much brighter.