LONDON - Avram Grant's brave new world at Stamford Bridge continues to heal the wounds left by Jose Mourinho's departure as Chelsea's win over Schalke put them in a commanding position in Champions League Group B.
A goal in each half from Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba ensured the Blues remain top of their group and that Grant's record in the Champions League is unblemished.
The English club's previous home game in the competition turned out to be Mourinho's last in charge and since his exit, Grant has brought in Dutchman Henk ten Cate from Ajax to help him mastermind the new-look, attacking Chelsea.
Grant has lost just once since the club's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich handed the 52-year-old Israeli the job of stabilising a Chelsea side that had appeared to have run out of ideas under Mourinho.
Grant insists that it will take time to realise his vision of a Chelsea side full of attacking flair and style, although there were embryonic glimpses in a comfortable win over the Germans.
They were gifted the best possible start when Malouda got the better of his marker Rafinha before despatching a left-foot shot which Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer inexplicably allowed to roll through his arms and into the back of the net.
The goal, comical as it was, settled Chelsea's nerves and the confidence permeated throughout Grant's side to such an extent that there were brief spells of the attacking verve he desperately wants to instil into his squad.
In the 12th minute captain Frank Lampard should have done better with a glancing header from Drogba's cross but he wasted the opportunity by putting his effort over the crossbar.
Michael Essien was equally wasteful in the 25th minute when he rose unchallenged to head a corner from Malouda over the bar from eight yards.
Schalke, who had lost their key striker Kevin Kuranyi though injury during the pre-match warm-up, gave Chelsea a scare two minutes later when Carlos Grossmuller's goal was ruled out for offside.
Chelsea continued to dominate though and in the 32nd minute Essien's glancing header was saved well by Neuer when he managed to get on the end of another curling cross from Malouda.
Seconds before the interval, Joe Cole brought another fine save from Neuer but it was clear from Schalke's neat approach play that Chelsea would benefit greatly from a second goal.
They got it within two minutes of the restart when a flowing move saw Paulo Ferreira provide the perfect cross for Drogba to send a deft header into the net from six yards.
The Ivorian has now scored twice in successive games since announcing in a magazine interview last week that he wanted to quit the club.
Drogba later said he regretted making his comments public and reaffirmed his commitment to the Premier League side.
That commodity is certainly not in question as Drogba produced a performance that could never be associated with a man who claims he is determined to follow Mourinho out of the exit door.
But Chelsea often looked vulnerable to the counter-attack and Schalke were desperately unlucky not to get back into the game on the hour.
A cross from the marauding Rafinha was met firmly by the head of Kuranyi's replacement Soren Larsen only to see his effort cannon back off Petr Cech's right-hand upright and back into the grateful arms of the Chelsea goalkeeper.
In the 84th minute Chelsea's Brazilian defender Alex was extremely fortunate to remain on the pitch when he tugged back Larsen in a bid to atone for a poor back pass to Cech.
But referee Peter Frojdfeldt waved away appeals for a free-kick to the fury of the Schalke bench.
