Hiddink says ailing champions Chelsea in relegation battle

Guus Hiddink has admitted Chelsea could become embroiled in a relegation battle with defeats to Everton and Arsenal in the next two games.

The Spain global has been involved in a number of unsavoury on-pitch flashpoints throughout the season and has already been booked six times in 17 Premier League appearances, while also receiving a three-match ban for violent conduct during the win over Arsenal in September.

“When I arrived, we started one point off the relegation line and now we have more room to breathe. They are provoking as well”, Hiddink said at a news conference. “The games are going to come thick and fast now, we’ve got Chelsea away on Saturday, so it’ll be an interesting couple of weeks or so”. And if you don’t gather the points there, we don’t know what the others will do. They head into the round of fixtures in 14th position in the table, just six points clear of the relegation zone and 12 points back on fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur after their 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion in midweek. That’s also a fact.

“We have to work hard and be very concentrated and gather our points to step up”. That’s why it was a pity about the 86th-minute equaliser we conceded against West Brom.

“No, we don’t have to sell players to bring in”.

Chelsea fans in the Transfer Tavern have spent the past week flicking peanut shells into the bin as they await news on a new striker but the latest reports have really rubbed them up the wrong way. That’s a little bit new for me and that’s good. “That’s good. As long as this is happening, we are not very active in doing other things”. Since Jose Mourinho’s departure, the Spanish global has been banging in the goals but failed to score midweek against West Brom.

Hiddink insisted there was no damage. “Those clashes, I didn’t see any bad things in this”. “It was an expression of frustration, not winning, no big deal”. He was taken aback by the reply.

“He’s playing on the edge, but the opponents are playing on the edge”. There is always these delicate provocations. You see little touches [on Diego], so it’s mutual. Nevertheless, he should control himself.

The 25-year-old could make his comeback against Arsenal on January 24. “He must have some tough, intense training sessions from Tuesday to Thursday”.