Cole adds goals to repertoire

Friday September 25, 2009

It was billed as the sternest test of Chelsea's season, but Tottenham's visit on Sunday merely highlighted the gulf between the top four and the pretenders.

The 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge confirmed the blossoming of left-back Ashley Cole as the Blues' most improved player of the season.

The defender, who loves life under Carlo Ancelotti, is a scamperer, crosser, dependable tackler... and now scorer, after netting his second goal in consecutive home league fixtures.

Cole ghosted in to bravely head home Chelsea's opener in the 33rd minute, ignoring a defender's boot just inches from his face and connecting sweetly with a cross from Didier Drogba.

The Blues striker remains a confusing contradiction. When he wants to be, he's strong as an ox, brushing defenders aside as he homes in on the opposition goal - a talent exemplified in the 63rd minute when, released by a Cole through ball, he left defender Vedran Corluka for dead, rounded ex-Chelsea keeper Carlo Cudicini to take his goal.

The other Drogba, the one capable of being felled by a light crosswind, is never far away, however.

Dr Jekyll? Mr Hyde?

In seconds he turns into an embarrassing drama queen, writhing in pain after sustaining an apparently career-ending injury.

That's the real trouble with Drogba. He never has an ordinary injury.

He never falls to the ground, gets up, brushes himself down and carries on. It's always a big deal.

He cries wolf so often that wise referees such as Howard Webb, in charge at the Bridge on Sunday, are understandably tempted to give tacklers the benefit of the doubt when confronted by death throes.

The pivotal event at the weekend, however, was when Spurs striker Robbie Keane was felled in the Chelsea area on 55 minutes by Ricardo Carvalho, and Webb - who presumably felt the defender touched the ball first - waved penalty claims aside.

That could have made it 1-1, with a consequent boost to Tottenham's confidence.

Instead, three minutes later, Michael Ballack converted Frank Lampard's pulled back ball to make it 2-0.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp was angry about the penalty decision, but was realistic enough to concede that Chelsea's second goal was down to his own players' 'abysmal' defending.

He also admitted that Chelsea's muchvaunted new diamond formation was 'very difficult to play against'.

After Wednesday's FA Cup derby against QPR, the Blues have the long trek to Wigan on Saturday.