艾殊利高爾無懼倒戈戰
[size=4][b]COLE NOT DAUNTED BY GUNNERS TRIP [/b][/size][size=2][b]Ashley Cole believes the derision meted out to England's players over the weekend will be child's play compared to the venom he is certain to face at Arsenal next month.[/b]
Cole returned to the Chelsea side for Saturday's 2-0 win at Derby after six weeks on the sidelines with an ankle injury.
As part of the England squad throughout the course of the European Championship qualifying campaign, Cole was occasionally jeered at Pride Park.
Instead, it was team-mates Frank Lampard, John Terry and Shaun Wright-Phillips who were subjected to considerable abuse as their every touch of the ball was greeted with boos.
Left-back Cole, though, knows that will pale into insignificance on December 16 when he faces former club Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Following his highly-contentious move from the Gunners to Chelsea at the end of August last year, Cole missed May's trip to north London due to an ankle injury.
On this occasion he is determined to confront his demons, knowing a cauldron of hate awaits should he be fit and selected.
"Compared to what happened to the England guys, I am sure I will get much worse when I go back to Arsenal," Cole said.
[b]"But I am used to it, and I am looking forward to the game. I want to go there and play them because I did not get to play there earlier this year.[/b]
[b]"I will go there and front up. I am a grown man. They (the Arsenal fans) threw money at me at Stamford Bridge, and that was bad, but I get that every game. I love it.[/b]
"To be honest, I am really not bothered about the reception I will get, even though I know the crowd will get on my back."
With Cole conceding [color=red][b]"it would be nice to go there and shut some people up," [/b][/color]that will only further enrage the Gunners fans.
"I don't think I have anything to prove to them," added Cole.
"They know how good I was when I was with them and what I did for the club. It is not about that.
[b]"Of course Arsenal still means something to me.[color=red] I don't hate the club or the players[/color].[/b]
[b]"I love the club, but it has finished for me there now. I need to look at myself and Chelsea and do as well as I can and win as many things as I can here."[/b]
Despite the five-point gap to current leaders Arsenal, who also have a game in hand, Cole insists the Blues can again become champions this season.
"Arsenal are the team to beat in the Premier League at the moment and hopefully it could be us that does it," said Cole.
"But we have to be closer to them before we play them. We need to win all our games before then.
"If we can do that and beat Arsenal as well, we are right back in the title race and anything can happen.
"This is a crucial period for us now, especially with Manchester United dropping points. It is still possible we can win the league."[/size]
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