Chelsea qualify with minimum of fuss again
Reuters - Thursday 04 November 2010, 12:35
LONDON - While Tottenham Hotspur have
attacked the Champions League like an average sprinter in his
one Olympic shot, London rivals Chelsea are like Usain Bolt,
using the group stage to ease smoothly into their stride.
North London is still buzzing from Spurs' effervescent 3-1
win over Inter Milan on Tuesday but over in the west Chelsea
fans have already forgotten Wednesday's 4-1 win over Spartak
Moscow and are instead looking forward to Sunday's Premier
League game with Liverpool.
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The victory secured progress to the knockout stage with two
games to spare and, as so often has been the case in recent
years, was achieved with the minimum of exertion.
Chelsea lead group F with 12 points, six ahead of Spartak
and Olympique Marseille, and look certain to top the group for
the sixth time in eight campaigns.
Having reached the semi-finals five times in that period,
going all the way to the final in 2008, it seems that the
Londoners, under various managers, have mastered the art of
doing just enough then kicking on when it matters.
After a turgid first half, when Chelsea seemed intent just to
cover their defence, they swept Spartak aside with two goals for
Branislav Ivanovic, a key opener by Nicolas Anelka and a Didier
Drogba penalty.
"There will be a long race getting to the final," said the
latest man at the helm, Carlo Ancelotti.
"When you reach the first aim, which is to win the group,
the next is to reach the final, and then to win that.
"I don't know if we can do this, but we have a possibility.
We have the motivation but sometimes you have to be lucky also.
We are working to play the last game at Wembley. In the final."
Ancelotti felt confident enough to rest captain John Terry
on Wednesday and did not risk Michael Essien, who has a minor
toe injury. With Frank Lampard missing most of the season so far
after hernia surgery and new signing Yossi Benayoun also a
long-term absentee, the manager has plenty of resources to call
upon in the New Year.
He is adding to his options too by giving more and more game
time to youngsters like Gael Kakuta, Daniel Sturridge and
17-year-old Josh McEachran, who all came on once the game was
safe on Wednesday.
"They haven't got the experience yet but I have trust in
these young players," Ancelotti said.