Didier Drogba has paid tribute to Shrewsbury Town after Chelsea needed a late own goal to earn a 2-1 victory in the League Cup on Tuesday night.

Jermaine Grandison inadvertently headed into his own net to hand Chelsea the win on a difficult night for Jose Mourinho's side at Greenhous Meadow, and Drogba was quick to praise the performance of the hosts.

"I think you saw it was a difficult pitch and difficult weather," the Ivorian, who captained Chelsea in the absence of John Terry, told Sky Sports. "They were a fantastic team and opponent. They showed why they deserve to be here tonight. They created a difficult game for us.

"With our experience we won the game. I don't need a armband to push the team."

Drogba, who opened the scoring in the fourth-round clash, has now found the back of the net in each of his last three games.