By Daily Sports on January 4, 2016

Guus Hiddink got his first win in charge of Chelsea on Sunday, as the Blues cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Not only did the win move Chelsea six points clear of the relegation zone, but it was also their most complete performance of the season.

One of the star performers was John Obi Mikel, who started his second straight match for the Blues, both of which have resulted in clean sheets. Before Hiddink took over, Mikel had not started consecutive matches in all of 2015.

Hiddink praised the play of Mikel, saying his defensive presence in the midfield works well to balance out the creative players such as Oscar and Willian. The manager also said he was happy his players did “the dirty work” needed to get wins.

Mikel completed 78 of his 82 pass attempts against Palace, and was the only player on the pitch to gain possession more times than he lost it. After the match, Chelsea supporters sang his name from the stands.

With the poor form of Nemanja Matic this season, Hiddink looks to have found a solution in Mikel. With just six goals in more than 350 appearances for the Blues, you will rarely see his name on the scoresheet, but his presence on the pitch is undeniable. (NBC Sports)

•Photo shows Mikel in action Sunday night against Crystal Palace.

Source Daily Sports

Posted January 4, 2016

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