Four out of four but wary Cole still searches for more
CHELSEA 4 v/s SPARTAK MOSCOW 1
TOP of the Premier League and four wins out of four in Europe looks a pretty faultless record, but Ashley Cole believes there is still more to come from his Chelsea team.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men stormed past Spartak Moscow thanks to a four-goal second-half salvo and have now qualified for the knockout stages with two games to spare.
After a bitty first period Chelsea responded to Ancelotti’s half-time words of wisdom almost immediately.
Nicolas Anelka slotted home from the narrowest of angles in the 49th minute, before Didier Drogba won and converted a penalty just past the hour mark.
Branislav Ivanovic then headed a third and slammed home a fourth, either side of Nikita Bazhenov’s consolation.
Yet, despite another emphatic home victory Cole, a losing finalist twice in this competition, believes Chelsea must improve further if they are to retain their Premier League crown and land Europe’s top prize for the first time.
Cole said: “We’re not playing as well as we were at the start of the season but we’re grinding out results and we just keep going. We’re winning games which is the most important thing.
“There is a hunger and a desire that we want to win it, but there is some way to go.”
Ancelotti, meanwhile, was all too eager to lavish praise on striker Anelka, who finally seems to have emerged from the shadow of Didier Drogba this season.
“Anelka was the key to opening up the game. He scored a fantastic goal,” said Ancelotti.
“I think he is happy at this moment. He’s the same compared to last year and the same Anelka I found when I came here, nothing has changed.
“He has experience. He maintains very good skill. Overall he is in the best moment of his career.”