Andre Villas-Boas praised Chelsea following their 4-3 penalty shoot-out triumph over West London rivals Fulham in the Carling Cup last night.

The Blues were reduced to ten men after Alex was dismissed, but held to take the game to penalties.

"We practised penalties like any other manager does in football and I think our series [of spot-kicks] was good today,” The Chelsea boss told Sky Sports News.

"Apparently it has been, I think, seven or eight times that Chelsea didn't go through or didn't get a win on penalties and it happened today.

"It also apparently happened that with ten men normally we don't go through in the Carling Cup and we did today."

Petr Cech and Daniel Sturridge had to be withdrawn due to injury, but both should be fit to face Swansea this weekend.