With the struggling champions having turned so many corners this season - it's no surprise they've often found themselves lost and without a plan. And while the change in management didn't seem to have the immediate and resolute effect owner Roman Abramovich would have hoped for - Sunday's derby at Selhurst Park showed flickers of the swagger Chelsea imposed in the early stages of last season.
In last week’s match against Manchester United, Guus Hiddink mysteriously deployed not one but two holding midfielders in Nemanja Matic and John Obi Mikel. It not only created a marked disjointedness between the attack and defence, it was also completely unnecessary. While United are normally a threat, they’d scored just 2 goals in 4 games leading up to this match and had 189 shots in the league. Only West Brom, Newcastle, Villa, Stoke and Sunderland had managed fewer.
While Palace started the season brightly, they have had struggles similar to those of United, failing to score in 3 of their 5 matches ahead of Sunday’s game. Hiddink looked to right the wrongs of Chelsea’s previous starting XI by bringing more balance. And in that balance, some of Chelsea’s players flourished - like Cesc Fàbregas.
Fàbregas looked every bit the player Chelsea had signed from Barcelona. Without having to focus so acutely on defensive duties, Fàbregas was able to move the ball about with his trademark accuracy. He attempted 104 passes, more than twice as many as any Palace player, including an outstanding through ball which allowed Diego Costa to set up Oscar’s goal. Of course his efforts weren’t all strained in creative endeavours - he won possession in the middle third of the pitch 8 times, at least 3 more than any other player.
How did Fàbregas find the freedom in movement? By and large thanks to an outstanding performance from John Obi Mikel. Mikel is always a calm but imposing figure amidst the chaos. Whenever Palace mounted any attack, Mikel seemed to appear as if from nowhere to mop up any trouble before they could get near Chelsea’s defence. His partnership with Fàbregas in the centre of Chelsea's midfield on Sunday was not unlike the one the Spaniard had formed with Matic 18 months ago.
On the rare occasions that Mikel was not able to deal with the pace and movement of Wilfried Zaha, Kurt Zouma was more than up to the task. The Frenchman made 9 clearances and 1 impressive sliding tackle in the 23rd minute.
The double training sessions seem to be having a positive effect on Diego Costa. His decline this season was one of the most dramatic in this Chelsea side. With their other strikers not trusted or injured, the goal scoring duties have lay mostly at his feet - which is in part the reason why Chelsea find themselves still in the bottom half of the table. The Spain international has looked more like his combative self inside the box over his last handful of appearances. Notably fighting for the ball to attempt a shot rather than just for the sake of a scrap.
The marked improvement in some of Chelsea's stars didn't outshine their player of the season. Amidst the laboured performances this season, Willian has been Chelsea's one consistent positive. His goal on Sunday was the standout in the match, if not the weekend. The Brazilian has now scored 7 of his 8 goals for Chelsea this season from outside the box
With the number of false dawns Chelsea seem to have had this season, it’s difficult to say this time is definitely the one that shows they’ve turned that notorious corner. However, Hiddink will be happy with not only the result, but the growing confidence the players seemed to have in themselves and one another. If they continue to build on Sunday’s game, they could just find themselves striding towards a Europa League place.
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