Cole spares Chelsea blushes

Ashley Cole spared the blushes of Chelsea's £130million attack as the European champions spluttered to 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.

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