Chelsea will have a chance to assert their superiority over Manchester United in the Champions League final in Moscow, irrespective of what happens in tomorrow's mouthwatering Barclays Premier League climax, but Avram Grant believes that they should be given a further opportunity if the two teams end up with the same number of points. The Chelsea first-team coach has called for the establishment of a championship play-off to replace the use of goal difference to separate teams who finish locked together at the end of the season, even joking that next week's Champions League final could become a winner-takes-all event.

With Chelsea and United on 84 points with one match remaining, such a notion is enough to have television executives salivating, while some more radical individuals within the Premier League would welcome the increased exposure that would come from a play-off, even if there is little chance of it coming to fruition.

Since goal average was ended in 1976, other than a brief experiment with goals scored, goal difference has been the preferred method of separating teams in England because it is believed to reflect their efforts fairly over the course of a season, while Grant also got his facts wrong regarding the situation in Italy. A system of head-to-head results similar to that used in the qualifying stage of World Cup and European Championship competitions replaced the play-off in Serie A two years ago.

“I prefer the system in Italy,” Grant said. “You play a play-off if you're level and it is decided on that. I have interest now to say that it should be like in Italy, but I like it anyway. Sometimes you score more goals against weaker teams. If you have the same points, you are at the same level. Let's go to Moscow and it can be winner takes all.”

With United having a 17-goal advantage over their title rivals, Chelsea's only hope if they both win tomorrow is that they can put at least 18 goals past Bolton Wanderers, an unlikely prospect, even if, as Sir Alex Ferguson claimed, Gary Megson's team have been partying all week. Grant dismissed the suggestion that United's superior goal difference reflected the higher quality of their football and went farther by arguing that over the past month Chelsea have been the most entertaining team in the league.

“I must admit that United have played very good football,” Grant said. “They think this is the best season since Alex Ferguson came. If he says what he says and we're in the same position, only separated by goal difference, then I'm very proud, but we need to wait for Sunday and then the Champions League.

“We've been playing the best football in the last month, playing it at the right time against really big teams and big managers. You need to think for every minute in a game when coming up against them.”

With Salomon Kalou recovering from an ankle injury, Grant has every attacking option at his disposal, with the exception of Nicolas Anelka, who is ineligible to play against his former team. His attacking position of strength is offset by problems at the back. Ricardo Carvalho is struggling to recover from a back injury suffered against Newcastle United on Monday and John Terry will play with a bandaged left hand after cutting a thumb with a knife while making a sandwich.

“Whatever happens on Sunday, I'm very proud of what we've done this season at Chelsea,” Grant said. “Alex said two or three months ago that this was the best United side he'd ever coached. If that's so, we've given them a good battle and it might go down to goal difference. And that makes me very proud.

“To be in the Premier League in second place, especially with what we've done this year, is a great achievement. This is the most competitive league all over the world, so to come second here is better than in all the other leagues, with all due respect.”