Mikel Shines As Chelsea Spank Palace For Hiddink’s First Win

The Blues have not lost in four matches but are 13 points behind Tottenham, who occupy the fourth Champions League spot, with 18 league games left.

The 3-0 win was only the second victory on the road this season for the reigning English Premier League champion but came at a cost as Belgium worldwide Eden Hazard limped off in the first half.

“Everyone knows there’s a lot of quality but sometimes a team which has just become champions has a tendency to become complacent”, the Dutchman told the BBC.

“That means that I don’t like to see a team drop back very far to seek false security but to look forwards and try to get the ball as soon as possible”.

“But the attitude is okay and then automatically they come and play with their quality”. He knows the game very well and how to cope.

But the upbeat Hiddink has quickly won over his players, his presence helping revive their appetite for the game and convince them to raise their work rate.

“The very talented players, they start working to invest in what I call the “dirty work” and not just the handsome game that they can play”. He has very good sense, he doesn’t do it in a brutal way, he’s very elegant. I think so, the Chelsea of previous year.

Writing on Breathe Sport, he commented: “Chelsea looked class, Fabregas coming back in the team, Costa was a threat and in goal scoring positions Palace missed key players and need a top striker in Jan”.

The duo of Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa were instrumental in getting the opening goal. “First of all, the confidence – you get it by playing and yes, these are quality players – but we wondered why they were good in the past and then you have to go back and find what is their quality”.

“But hats off to Chelsea, they were very, very good”. Not just a quality player, but one who can defend so smoothly, is for me attractive to see.

However, the Stamford Bridge outfit did not have to wait long for their second as on 60 minutes, following referee Kevin Friend’s clever decision to allow play to continue after Oscar was hacked down, the ball rolled to Willian who fired home an unstoppable drive from 25 yards.

A bit more fire power up front and it may have been a different story, but Pardew said there is light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to key players returning.

Once they scored Chelsea dominated, deservedly doubling their advantage with a spectacular Willian strike in the 60th minute. “Their mentality has changed – you can see that”.