Blues prepared for tough time ahead

Branislav Ivanovic warned Chelsea that far tougher tests lay ahead after helping them see off Norwich.

The European champions refused to be knocked off course by the John Terry and Ashley Cole furore as they came roaring back to crush Norwich 4-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Posting their best start to a season since 2006 - 19 points from 21 - was the perfect way for Chelsea to go into the international break. But the Blues, who are past masters at playing amid a maelstrom off the field, will return to action in a fortnight to face what could end up being their hardest run of games of the entire campaign.
First up is a reunion at Tottenham with former boss Andre Villas-Boas, who tried so hard last season to get Chelsea playing the kind of dazzling football they are now producing under Roberto Di Matteo. That is followed by a difficult Champions League game away to Shakhtar Donetsk, back-to-back league and Capital One Cup clashes with Manchester United and - after a trip to Swansea - home meetings with Shakhtar and Liverpool.
"At the moment, a lot of things are okay," said Ivanovic after smashing home his fourth goal already this season.
"But we still have to work hard and it's going to be very, very tough. We expect, after the international break, a very hard period of games and we have to be ready for that."