Cole spares Chelsea blushes

Sep 22 2012

Ashley Cole spared the blushes of Chelsea's £130million attack as the European champions spluttered to a 1-0 victory against Stoke to go three points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League.

Roman Abramovich looked on as the Blues unleashed the £80m trio of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Juan Mata for the first time behind £50m man Fernando Torres.

But the quartet were nowhere near being the 'Barcelona in blue shirts' the club's billionaire owner craves until the 85th minute, when Cole finished a brilliant move to snatch a barely-deserved win.