Crystal Palace 3-0

Independent:

Crystal Palace 0 Chelsea 3: Nightmare over at last as Chelsea find mojo

Diego Costa, Oscar and Willian on target as Blues start 2016 with win

Jack Pitt-Brooke

How better to start 2016 than this? Chelsea opened their year with a performance better than almost anything they produced in 2015, beating a diminished Crystal Palace side with the style and verve which they had lost utterly in the past few months.

This was the first win of the second Guus Hiddink era, the first step back towards normality for these players after the trauma of their autumn. The three points are desperately important, moving them ahead of Bournemouth and Norwich City and further away from the relegation zone. But what mattered more, out there in the torrential rain at Selhurst Park, were the first signs of expansive, attacking play and natural fluency that Chelsea have shown  all season.

Jose Mourinho wanted to build a dynasty at Stamford Bridge, but the main legacy he left when he was sacked last month was a good group of players whose confidence had been destroyed. All the optimism that carried them to last year’s title had been toxified. No wonder they had stopped scoring.

One of Hiddink’s main tasks on his return to Chelsea is to conjure up that confidence and enthusiasm again, to reinvigorate the atmosphere, to remind these talented players how good they are and what they can do. Hiddink spoke positively last week about the “technical skill” Chelsea’s players have and how he has been working on their attacking positioning to make them more dangerous.

This performance was a vindication of all that work, and of the decision to replace Mourinho with Hiddink just before Christmas. This was the best Chelsea have played since they thumped Swansea City away from home 50 weeks ago, the apex of the second Mourinho era.

Chelsea’s great form in the first half of last season was built on the selfless running of Diego Costa and the intelligent prompting of Cesc Fabregas in midfield. The form of those two – along with Eden Hazard, Nemanja Matic and many more – collapsed this season but here they looked sharper than they have since this time last year.

This was not an easy game to play, given the wet pitch, loud crowd and tireless opponents. The players spent the opening stages coming to terms with the conditions. César Azpicilueta slipped and was kicked in the face by Fraizer Campbell. Joel Ward’s face collided painfully with Scott Dann’s knee.

Hazard limped off with a groin strain after 15 minutes, costing him the chance to rediscover his form and maybe even his goalscoring touch. While Hazard received treatment, the rest of Chelsea’s forwards revelled in the chance to play football like they used to.

Fabregas has been the most obvious under-performer, but here, with forwards willing to make runs in front of him, he was a new player. He made the move for the first goal, playing a clever forward pass to Costa, who was running into the inside-right channel. Damien Delaney slid and failed to intercept the ball and Costa drove towards the near post. Shaping at first to shoot, Costa cut the ball back to Oscar, darting into the box, who tapped the ball in. This was the type of simple, incisive goal, based on clever play and trusting runs, that had drifted out of Chelsea’s repertoire in 2015.

Once in front, Chelsea never looked as if they would not win. They should have scored again just before the break, when Oscar’s diagonal ball picked out Azpilicueta’s clever run in behind, only for Wayne Hennessey to be equal to the low shot.

Too many times this season Chelsea have taken an early lead before panicking, sitting back, and losing badly. This time they stayed on the front foot, dominated the second half and made sure of the win with two emphatic goals.

The second came on the hour. Willian started a brisk passing move which went through Costa and Oscar before returning to the Brazilian, whose powerful, 20-yard finish was in the roof of the net before anyone realised what had happened.

Willian made the third six minutes later, bursting from midfield into the inside-right channel, outside the stationary James McArthur. His low cross was palmed away by Hennessey but Costa, instincts re-sharpened, finished at the far post.

That was the end of the contest and the final minutes were dominated by Chelsea’s fans revelling in the absurdity of their situation, singing first that they were going to stay up, then that they were going to win the league. When they sang Mourinho’s name it was not with much enthusiasm.

For Crystal Palace, the main excitement came with 10 minutes left, when Chung-Yong Lee was replaced by Jonny Williams, back from loan at Nottingham Forest and making his first Palace appearance since September 2014. Based on this afternoon, they may well need him.

Palace were without Yohan Cabaye, Yannick Bolasie and Connor Wickham – their brains, their most dangerous attacking player and their only real centre-forward. They were understandably diminished, with Wilfried Zaha and Campbell stationed up front.

Zaha and Campbell had half-chances, but struggled to cause Chelsea real problems. Zaha shot wide from 20 yards after seven minutes, Campbell failed to connect at the far post with a Jason Puncheon cross. Zaha tried to play Campbell in just before Chelsea’s second goal, only for Thibaut Courtois to cut it out.

This was a very different afternoon from the one four months ago when Palace went to Stamford Bridge and won 2-1. Cabaye, Bolasie and Wickham all starred that day but without them Palace look ordinary. Cabaye will return from suspension this weekend and if the other two shake off their injuries then there is no reason why Palace cannot continue to look up and into the European positions.

Chelsea were an even more changed team from that day in August. Yesterday, under Hiddink, they controlled the midfield, attacked with confidence, scored goals and defended as a team. They are still eight points behind  Palace, but their nightmare is over.


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Guardian:

Chelsea swagger past Crystal Palace with Willian goal a gem for Hiddink

C Palace 0 - 3 Chelsea

David Hytner at Crystal Palace

Chelsea supporters would love to think that the second half of 2015 was simply a bad dream. Sadly for them, it was grotesquely real but the new year got under way in cathartic fashion for them and there was even evidence of their old champion swagger and steel.

It was as if a switch had been flicked on the misery of the preceding months, as the caretaker manager, Guus Hiddink, enjoyed the first victory of his second spell at the club and Willian, the game’s outstanding individual, produced the outstanding moment. His stinging drive from outside the area for Chelsea’s second goal was still rising when it ripped into the roof of the net.

Chelsea had started the day three points above the relegation zone and with only four teams beneath them, and a case could be made for next Sunday’s FA Cup tie at home to League One Scunthorpe United being the bigger game. The table looked a little better for them after this and, although much of the meaning has been stripped from their Premier League season, the team did feel much more like their old selves.

Diego Costa and Cesc Fàbregas returned from suspension and illness respectively and both were influential, with the former setting up the opening goal for Oscar and scoring the third himself. Fàbregas pulled the strings in midfield, supported by the excellent Mikel John Obi, and it was revealing to hear a post-match comment from Alan Pardew, the Crystal Palace manager.

“Looking at the Chelsea players now and speaking to one or two of them coming off the pitch, they all feel they haven’t played well [over the first-half of the season],” Pardew said. “I said to Fàbregas: ‘You were brilliant today.’ And he said: ‘Well, it’s taken a while’.”

Palace were chasing the league double over their London neighbours, having won at Stamford Bridge in August – the first real surprise result of the José Mourinho implosion – but they were breached here by Chelsea’s slick football and they had no answers of their own.

Palace ran aground after the 29th-minute concession to Oscar while Chelsea went from strength to strength, with the early loss of Eden Hazard to a groin problem reduced to little more than a footnote.

Hazard had tried to carry on only to plonk himself down on the turf, moments after losing out tamely to Joel Ward by the corner flag, and indicate that his game was over. He was a snapshot in loneliness as he trudged off towards the tunnel and he will undergo a scan on Monday.

Chelsea’s breakthrough goal was marked by high-end quality, which sparkled amid the gloomy weather and sparked happiness inside the travelling enclosure. “We are staying up,” the Chelsea fans chanted.

Fàbregas, back at the expense of Nemanja Matic rather than Mikel, was the initial creator, sliding a ball through for Costa, after the striker had spun off his marker to run in behind. Costa cut a lovely, disguised cross back for Oscar and the midfielder tapped home from close range.

Hazard’s replacement, Pedro, was industrious on the left and Chelsea made inroads up that side. They might have had the second in the 37th minute when Fàbregas, again, cut Palace apart with a ball forward, this time for César Azpilicueta. The left-back’s first touch on his chest was true and, one-on-one with Wayne Hennessey from a tight angle, he was denied by a block from the goalkeeper. Kurt Zouma also missed with a free header from Willian’s free-kick shortly after the interval.

The tackles flew in. Damien Delaney and Scott Dann were both booked for kicking Costa but he kept his cool, exacting revenge with his football. Palace had drawn blanks in their previous two outings and the continued absence of the injured Yannick Bolasie was compounded by the loss of Yohan Cabaye to a ban after five yellow cards. Both creators were missed as Palace groped for a cutting edge against a Chelsea defence that was well protected by Mikel. He kept everything cool and simple.

Fraizer Campbell had gone close with Palace’s only first-half chance in the 26th minute, following Jason Puncheon’s dangerous cross, and they flickered in the 59th minute through Wilfried Zaha. Teed up by Campbell after Chelsea had appealed in vain for a foul on Costa, Zaha’s shot was scuffed somewhat and Thibaut Courtois stretched to save.

Moments later, the game was over. Willian started the move, working the ball to Fàbregas, who found Oscar and, when the ball broke following Dann’s tackle, Willian strode on to it and let fly. Hennessey felt it scorch past him. Chelsea got the third shortly afterwards when Willian teased James McArthur before shooting. Hennessey pushed it out but only as far as Costa and he bundled his effort home off Ward.

Man of the match Willian (Chelsea)


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Telegraph:

Crystal Palace 0 Chelsea 3

Chelsea sweep aside early season storm with convincing victory

Goals from Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa saw Chelsea stroll home against an injury-stricken Palace

Jason Burt

Chelsea are back. Or at least it felt like that at a sodden Selhurst Park where, amid the torrential rain, they swept aside the storms of this season with a convincing victory over Crystal Palace.
There goals from Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa and powerful, rejuvenated performance all over with Cesc Fabregas outstanding, as were the goal-scorers, and John Obi Mikel impressive having been restored to the midfield by caretaker manager Guus Hiddink after being ignored by so long for Jose Mourinho.
The only negative for Chelsea was an injury to Eden Hazard as their campaign finally, belatedly got underway. The rest of the Premier League will have a glance over the shoulder.

Whether this is the start of a charge obviously remains to be seen but it felt like a very different Chelsea from the rest of this season as a year to the day since he took over as manager Alan Pardew saw his Palace side overwhelmed.
2015 was a wonderful year for Palace while it divided diametrically in two for Chelsea who are so far removed now from being the champions they were crowned only last May.
The injury to Hazard came early on as he tried to continue after pulling up sharply following a shot.

Hazard appeared to have damaged his groin and was replaced by Pedro.
Just over quarter of an hour had passed. Fifteen minutes of which the heavy rain had dominated more than either team although Palace had, initially, adapted more quickly by electing to get the ball forward with Wilfried Zaha – on his 200th appearance for the club – pushed through the middle.

He came closest in that period after taking the ball away from Oscar and running across the face of goal before sending a low shot back across Thibaut Courtois and narrowly wide.
It was clear that without Yannick Bolasie, Connor Wickham and the suspended Yohan Cabaye that Zaha would have to take more responsibility for Palace while Chelsea were able to bring back Costa, who had served his ban with Fabregas also returning having recovered from illness.
Palace threatened again. This time Jason Puncheon’s first-time cross bounced narrowly in front of Mile Jedinak but reached Fraizer who, at the far post, was unable to keep his shot down as the ball kicked up off the sodden turf.

The breakthrough came and it belonged to Chelsea with Mikel, clearly a Hiddink favourite having been restored to the team, gaining possession from Puncheon’s heavy touch and feeding Fabregas who slid the ball through for Costa to run onto. Damien Delaney, at full-stretch, needed to cut it out but failed to do so and Costa sprinted into the area before cutting the ball back, smartly, for Oscar to sweep into the net.
Palace were thrown. The goal changed the dynamic of the contest. Chelsea pushed on with a superb flighted ball by Oscar picking out the run of Cesar Azpilicueta who was suddenly clear on goal. From the angle he shot and Wayne Hennessey did well to beat the ball out.
Certainly this felt like a different, revitalised Chelsea with Fabregas and Costa prominent and a competitive, rather than destructive, edge to their play and Kurt Zouma should have increased the advantage when he ran onto Willian’s free-kick only to head wide. He should have scored.

Just as Chelsea began to dominate even more it was Costa who lost the ball with Campbell striding forward and slipping a pass to Zaha. With the chance to shoot his effort lacked conviction, lacked power and Courtois easily held on.
It proved pivotal. Chelsea came forward again and again Fabregas and Oscar were involved with the latter letting the ball run to the onrushing Willian who crashed a fierce first-time, right-footed shot from outside the area which arrowed past Hennessey.

Belief was coursing through Chelsea now and the third goal came with another powerful involvement from Willian who ran at the Palace defence and shot low and across Hennessey who could only push the ball out to Costa. He bundled it over the goal-line, off Joel Ward who desperately tried to block.
Palace were beaten and it was Chelsea with Scott Dann blocking Oscar’s goal-bound shot before Costa volleyed wide. In the wet, Chelsea were finally waving not drowning.


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Mail:

Crystal Palace 0-3 Chelsea:

Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa hand Guus Hiddink his first win back with the Blues, but Eden Hazard hobbles off injured inside 20 minutes at Selhurst Park
Oscar slotted Chelsea ahead from close range in the 29th minute, after Eden Hazard had been substituted injured
Willian doubled the lead with a thunderous strike on the hour mark, which is his eighth goal of the season
Diego Costa capped a good display with a goal on 67, tapping in after a Wayne Hennessey error

By MATT BARLOW FOR THE DAILY MAIL

New Year, old Chelsea. And one of those vintage performances once associated with Jose Mourinho.
They yielded not an inch at the back, they were willing to engage and fight on a cold and wet day for the right to impose their quality going forward, they were dangerous on the break and they were clinical with the chances they created.
Eden Hazard limped off injured, but that was the only blemish on a positive day for the fallen champions.

Crystal Palace never seemed like taking anything from this game once they went behind to the opener from Oscar before half-time.
Willian and Diego Costa extended the lead after the break and spoiled any thoughts of an anniversary party for Alan Pardew, a year to the day after his triumphant arrival at Selhurst Park.

With the win, Chelsea climbed to 23 points. The idea of defending the Barclays Premier League title is long-gone. The top four, too, no much more than a distant dream.
Bookmakers scrambled to slash the odds, but they are still 10 points adrift of Manchester United in fifth.
Even so, Guus Hiddink is doing what he was asked to do: stabilise the dressing room, massage a few egos and energise those players who had grown tired of Mourinho.
It is four games without defeat since he was dismissed and the Exiled One will have watched this performance with a knowing smile.

The creative axis of Costa and Cesc Fabregas was quite clearly back in business. The pair combined well for the first goal. Fabregas got himself on the ball and played with invention. Costa has found his way to goal, once again, with three in two games under Hiddink.

Work-rate was high. Oscar proved more influential than he has been for some time, and Willian's brilliant form has not faded.
The transformation least predicted, however, must be the resurgence of John Obi Mikel, preferred to Nemanja Matic in central midfield by Hiddink, and the interim manager declared him the 'ideal' player to bring balance to his team.

Mikel responded with a display of power authority, especially during the first-half when a fierce battle for midfield control was being waged in the midst of a Biblical deluge.
Rain had poured down for hours before kick-off and a slippery opening phase was awash with mistakes, chance collisions and extended sliding tackles until everyone got the measure of the conditions.

Flowing football was somewhat harder to find at this point. Wilfried Zaha's 200th appearance for Palace was frustrated by the proximity of Branislav Ivanovic, who won the duel in muscular style and somehow avoided a yellow card.
Cesar Azpilicueta and Joel Ward needed treatment early on, and Hazard was forced off with what appeared to be a groin problem.

As Chelsea show signs of recovery, Hazard's season goes from bad to worse. Without a goal in 30 Chelsea appearances, the Footballer of the Year has lost form and confidence and now his body is ailing.

He went off with a hip problem, half-an-hour into Mourinho's final game in charge at Leicester, and at Selhurst he lasted only 16 minutes before heading back to the dressing room, flanked by two of the club's medical staff.
Chelsea hit their best rhythm without Hazard, and it was Oscar who fired them ahead following the sort of move they regularly delivered last season
.
Fabregas unzipped the Palace back-four with a pass to Costa. Damien Delaney tried to intercept it but slid by at speed, leaving Costa with a clear run at goal.
He threatened to shoot from a tight angle, only to cut the ball back, taking Wayne Hennessey and Scott Dann out of the equation and supplying a simple tap-in for Oscar, who timed his run well and celebrated his fifth of the season.

Hennessey thwarted Azpilicueta with a fine save as Palace fought to stay in the game. Kurt Zouma went close, early in the second-half, with a header from a Willian free-kick.
Pardew's team, without several of its best attacking players, found it difficult to create clear chances and have not scored in three games since Boxing Day. They worked into some promising situations and yet lacked quality on the final pass.
Zaha flashed one effort wide in the opening minutes, but Thibaut Courtois was not extended until he denied the same player with nearly an hour gone. Within seconds of the save, Chelsea extended the lead.

It was an unhappy and soaking wet afternoon for Pardew and his Palace squad as they faced Chelsea in the Premier League
Willian launched the move, with a pass to Costa, who moved it on to Oscar. When Oscar was challenged, the ball rolled free towards Willian who slammed it without hesitation into the top corner.
Costa grabbed the third, forcing it in from close-range via Ward after Hennessey had saved from Willian.
There might have had more, but Chelsea eased off and coasted home. The job was done and the future suddenly appears brighter with four games unbeaten in the second post-Mourinho era and Scunthorpe up next in the FA Cup.

MATCH FACTS, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE
Crystal Palace (4-2-3-1): Hennessey 6; Ward 6, Dann 5, Delaney 5, Souare 5; Jedinak 5 (Ledley 66 min, 5), McArthur 6; Puncheon 5, Lee 5 (Williams 80), Zaha 6; Campbell 5 (Chamakh 66, 5).
Subs not used: McCarthy, Kelly, Mutch, Sako.
Bookings:Delaney, Jedinak, Dann.
Manager: Alan Pardew 5.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois 6.5; Ivanovic 6.5, Zouma 6, Terry 6, Azpilicueta 6; Fabregas 7, Mikel 8; Willian 7.5, Oscar 7.5 (Matic), Hazard 5 (Pedro 16, 6.5); Costa 7.
Subs not used: Begovic, Baba, Loftus-Cheek, Ramires, Traore.
Goals: Oscar, 29, Willian, 60, Costa, 66.
Manager: Guus Hiddink 7
Referee: Kevin Friend


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Mirror:

Crystal Palace 0-3 Chelsea: 5 things we learned as Diego Costa clipped the wings of high-flying Eagles

BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA

Goals from Costa, Oscar and Willian saw Guus Hiddink's men start the new year in fine style at a wet and windy Selhurst Park

Chelsea cruised to victory at Crystal Palace to notch their first win since Guus Hiddink's return.

Goals from Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa fired Chelsea to their first away league win since August.

Oscar tapped in the first from Costa's cross in the 29th minute. Willian than found the top corner with a stunning rising drive from outside the box to make it 2-0 on the hour.

Six minutes later Costa tapped in number three from close range after Wayne Hennessey failed to deal with Willian's cross.

An injury to Eden Hazard took some of the gloss off a satisfying away day for the Blues though He limped off with a groin injury after just 16 minutes.


Here are five things we learned:

Jon Obi Mikel is trusted again
Jon Obi Mikel is back in favour following Guus Hiddink's return to Chelsea.

Rather than drop Mikel to accommodate the returning Cesc Fabregas against Crystal Palace, it was Nemanja Matic who made way. Hiddink clearly trusts Mikel, one of three surviving players from his first interim reign, and likes the solidity, simplicity hand discipline he brings to Chelsea's midfield.

And by giving him a second start at Selhurst Park, Mikel has now made as many league starts in two weeks under Hiddink as he did in half a season under Jose Mourinho.

He repaid Hiddink with a masterclass in midfield to earn the acclaim of the travelling fans.

Eden Hazard out again
After his sensational campaign last year, this season could hardly be more opposite for reigning double player of the year Eden Hazard. He is still waiting for his first goal of the season, still missing even any spark in his performances and now injuries are hampering him.

He only recently returned from a hip injury but is now facing another spell on the sidelines after being forced off with what looked like a groin injury.


Ref justice for Palace
Sometimes officials don't help themselves, like referee Kevin Friend at Selhurst Park.

He showed Damien Delaney an early yellow, when a talking to might have sufficed, for a 12th minute foul, leaving the Palace defender on a tight-rope in tricky conditions for the rest of the game.

Then, having seemingly set out his stall, he chose not to hand out anymore first-half yellows despite a number of potentially punishable challenges from Chelsea players, much to the obvious frustration of Alan Pardew.

Friend then compounded things by finally handing out a second booking after the break to Palace captain Mile Jedinak.

Fans rarely need any added encouragement to grumble about the refs their team get but Friend's inconsistency gave Palace supporters just that.

Chelsea under Hiddink are positive
It's early days but there were more positive signs that Hiddink could salvage Chelsea's season.

With Jon Obi Mikel back in the side they looked more solid and had greater control of the game, Diego Costa is looking more like his old self under Hiddink and scored his third goal in two games for the Dutchman. A morale-boosting win away from home is not to be sniffed at either.

They hadn't triumphed on the road in the league since August when they won 3-2 at West Brom.

Chelsea fans still have a sense of humour
Chelsea fans have retained their sense of humour during this traumatic season watching their side's incredible decline from champions.

They responded to Chelsea's opener with chants of “we are staying up” before declaring “we're gonna win the league” after Willian lashed in their sensational second after the break.

And when Diego Costa forced home their third the “that's why we're champions” refrain came out.


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Express:

Crystal Palace 0 - Chelsea 3: Oscar, Diego Costa & Willian seal comfortable win for Blues

IF YOU need an example of how Chelsea have been transformed since Jose Mourinho was sacked, look no further than John Obi Mikel.

By TONY BANKS

Chelsea brushed aside Crystal Palace with ease and looked back to their best

Sidelined by the Special One, the Nigeria international looked to be on his way to Galatasaray, Besiktas or even the Middle East this month as a 10-year Stamford Bridge career seemed to be petering out.

But in comes Guus Hiddink, and back comes Mikel. He is one of only three survivors from the Dutchman’s first spell in charge in 2009, and he clearly remembers how reliable the big midfielder can be.

In his second start in three games under Hiddink – as many as he managed in half a season under Mourinho – Mikel ran the show at a sodden Selhurst Park yesterday as Chelsea cruised to only their second away league win of the campaign.

Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa rattled in the goals which flattened Palace, but it was Mikel’s calm authority in midfield, alongside another who has rediscovered his vim in Cesc Fabregas, which gave them the platform for this victory.

It was a year to the day since Alan Pardew took over at Palace, and his record as a manager against Chelsea at both Selhurst and St James’ Parks had been a good one with five wins from eight games. But yesterday his team ran into the Chelsea of old.

Hiddink has only lost one League game out of 16 in two spells in charge of Chelsea. Here, despite losing Eden Hazard to a groin injury after only 14 minutes, his team weathered Palace’s early storm and struck on the break with a deadly intent previously missing this season. It was almost like watching an archetypal Mourinho performance.

Chelsea are now a more comfortable six points above the bottom three, and four games unbeaten. The rainclouds still hover, but there are glimmers of sunlight.

Pardew’s side did start with the eagerness of a team that were unbeaten in six games as Wilfried Zaha shot wide and then Fraizer Campbell missed a chance. But too many crosses from good positions went high and wide too often.

Then on the half-hour Chelsea struck. Fabregas’s cute pass was fatally missed by Damien Delaney. Costa was onto it in a flash and laid the ball back for Oscar to convert from close range.

Palace keeper Wayne Hennessey had to make a good save from Cesar Azpilicueta as confidence surged through Chelsea veins, and Kurt Zouma should have scored when he headed over from point blank range.

But even when Palace were handed an opportunity to get back into the match, they wasted it. Costa lost possession and Zaha sped away but placed his shot too close to Thibaut Courtois.

The punishment was swift and brutal. Oscar lost the ball but it ran loose to the excellent Willian, who smashed it into the top corner from 20 yards.

Six minutes later Willian got away on the right again, leaving his defender trailing with another electric burst of pace, and fired in a low shot. Hennessey dived but could only spoon the ball up, and Costa pounced to force it in off the desperate Joel Ward. The damage was complete.

By the closing stages the Chelsea fans were chanting Mikel’s name, cheering every pass from a player most had forgotten had even existed a few short months ago. Galatasaray don’t know what they are missing.


PALACE (4-2-3-1): Hennessey 6; Ward 6, Dann 6, Delaney 6, Souare 6; Jedinak 5 (Ledley 68, 6), McArthur 6; Zaha 7, Puncheon 6, Lee 6 (Williams 80); Campbell 5 (Chamakh 68, 6). Booked: Delaney, Jedinak, Dann. NEXT UP: Southampton (a) FAC, Sat.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Courtois 7; Ivanovic 7, Zouma 7, Terry 7, Azpilicueta 7; Mikel 7, Fabregas 7; Willian 8, Oscar 7 (Matic 86), Hazard 5 (Pedro 16, 7); Costa 7. Goals: Oscar 29, Willian 60, Costa 66. NEXT UP: Scunthorpe (h) FAC, Sun.

Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).


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Star:

Crystal Palace 0 Chelsea 3: Blues start 2016 with impressive win against Eagles

FINALLY a ray of sunshine for Chelsea.

By David Woods

The mood of the struggling champions for most of the season so far has matched the awful weather at Selhurst Park yesterday.

But suddenly life might not seem quite so gloomy at Chelsea after goals from Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa earned a first league victory on their travels since the 3-2 win at West Brom on August 23.

Prior to yesterday, only bottom two Aston Villa and Sunderland had a worse away record in the Premier League than Chelsea’s meagre haul of six points.

Granted Palace - so clearly missing suspended playmaker Yohan Cabaye - were surprisingly poor.

But they never looked like a team who started the game nine places and 11 points ahead of their opponents.

This was a different Chelsea though - calm, committed, composed and yes, even clinical for once. In fact they looked something like the team who ran away with the title last season under old boss Jose Mourinho.

Current boss Guus Hiddink has done something to restore their enthusiasm.

Costa and Cesc Fabregas look much more like their old selves.

Branislav Ivanovic was also nothing like the weakest link he has been for most of the season at right-back while John Obi Mikel was superb in his midfield holding role.

Ivanovic was targeted and tormented at Stamford Bridge at the end of August, when the Eagles won 2-1.


That defeat was the game when the doomed Mourinho first admitted he didn’t know what was wrong with his team.

But yesterday even the injury loss of Eden Hazard - whose season still seems in the doldrums - in the 15th minute did not handicap Chelsea. In fact, they looked better balanced with Pedro on the left.

Palace could actually have scored first. But Jason Puncheon’s great in-swinging ball was just a little too far ahead of Scott Dann and Frazier Campbell couldn’t produce anything when it zipped onto his right boot.

Chelsea scored just seconds later, in the 28th minute. Fabregas’ ball evaded Damien Delaney and sent Costa through into the box.

The striker was unselfish and, from a tight angle, he dummied and teed up Oscar to side foot home from eight yards.

“We are staying up,” sang Chelsea’s fans.

Oscar picked out an intelligent diagonal run from Cesar Azpilicueta and, after controlling with his chest, the Spaniard tested Wayne Hennessey with a powerful half-volley.

Mikel blocked a storming run from Wilfried Zaha early in the second half with travelling fans then cheering his every touch.

A typically excellent Willian free-kick in the 53rd minute found Kurt Zouma, but the centre back somehow managed to head over from five yards.


Zaha then had a great chance to level in the 60th minute. Found by strike partner Campbell he delayed his shot then scuffed it straight to Blues goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

And just like with the first Chelsea goal, the Blues immediately capitalised after their let-off.

Dann lunged in on Oscar but the ball broke to Willian the free-kick king lashed into the top corner from 20 yards.

The brilliant Brazilian was then the creator in the 65th minute, slipping past James McArther on the right flank and sending in a low cross which Hennessey could only push towards Costa, whose prod went in off Joel Ward.

After that it was like the Chelsea of old under Mourinho, when they would see out victories without too much fuss.

They are now unbeaten in four, with a win and two draws under Hiddink, and up two places to 14th.

Palace boss Alan Pardew claimed before the game that the top four was not out of reach for them.

He might have been premature but his job now will be to lift his men after this limp display.


CRYSTAL PALACE (4-4-2): Hennessey 6; Ward 5, Dann 5, Delaney 5, Souare 6; PUNCHEON 7, McArthur 6, Jedinak 5 (Ledley 66, 5), Lee 6 (Williams 79); Campbell 6 (Chamakh 66, 6), Zaha 6. Subs: McCarthy, Mutch, Sako, Kelly.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Courtois 7; Ivanovic 7, Zouma 7, Terry 8, Azpilicueta 7; Fabregas 8, MIKEL 8; Willian 8, Oscar 8 (Matic 88), Hazard 6 (Pedro 15, 7); Costa 8. Subs: Begovic, Rahman, Ramires, Traore, Loftus-Cheek.