But although the 52-year-old Israeli still did not manage a smile after substitute Andriy Shevchenko completed the rout over hapless City, he admitted to enjoying an afternoon when Chelsea hit six in the league for the first time in seven years.

Former coach Jose Mourinho never managed to get his Chelsea side to achieve that feat and the margin of the victory was the worst suffered by City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson in his professional career.

Grant, who would not confirm speculation he is about to sign a new three-year deal next week, declared: "We are in the middle of a process. We know what we want and I think today it was good.

"I enjoyed winning and the way we won. We continue to do the process step by step, maybe today it was two steps. I must say the players have a great attitude and they are the main stars here. We just need to continue with what we have begun.

"We are concentrating on attacking football. How to move right, how to behave right, how to get the best out of the players and make them better. I think it is more important the players ask these things from themselves.

"I know we cannot do it in every game over the 90 minutes but I think we need in modern football for people to come and have fun. It is very important to win games but the way you win them is also important.

"I have done this all my life, not in England, but I am trying to do it here. I want to look forward. My job is to make the Chelsea fans feel good. I think they have enjoyed the last six weeks as much as we have enjoyed them."

Chelsea were inspirational and a double from Didier Drogba, plus other goals from Michael Essien, Joe Cole, Salomon Kalou and substitute Shevchenko, handed City their biggest defeat of the season.

Grant left England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips out of the 16-man squad for the second game in succession but he insisted it was nothing personal. Florent Malouda, who scored the first goal against Schalke in midweek, was also axed.

Grant added: "I personally like Shaun Wright-Phillips. He is a very, very good player. In Chelsea there are 25 players in the squad and 95% of them are internationals.

"We can only play with 11 and have five substitutes so for each match there will be seven or eight good players on the side.

"I speak with the players all the time and my staff speak to the players but it is private. I like the communication with them as long as they know their job is to do the best for Chelsea, like I try to do.

"There is no regular starter. What is important to me is the style of the team and how it will play. We will use all the squad during the season."

City boss Eriksson labelled his team's defending as "awful" as he watched Chelsea take them apart with ease.

The former England coach claimed his side's poor performance helped to make Chelsea look better than they were.

Eriksson said: "For sure this is a wake-up call for all of us. I am very disappointed. When you lose 6-0 and I don't think I have ever lost by that, it is very disappointing.

"My worst result previously was Gothenburg - 5-1 to Arsenal many years ago in the European Cup Winners' Cup.

"Maybe there has been too much talk about us playing good football and I will not blame anyone, absolutely not. But if you don't defend well in football then things will happen that have happened today.

"If you give Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, Joe Cole all the time and space we gave them today, they will kill you and they killed us.

"We made Chelsea better than they are today. By two or three passes they are along with our goalkeeper - that is not defending.

"I am not talking about the four defenders, I am talking in general. If you defend in football today, you have to defend with 11. We did exactly the opposite."