Aston Villa 0 - 1 ChelseaAnelka gives Hiddink a wining start
Guus Hiddink watches with Ray Wilkins at Villa Park
Chelsea launched the Guus Hiddink era in positive fashion as Nicolas Anelka's first-half strike earned them a 1-0 victory and kept alive their slim hopes of lifting the Premier League title as they leapfrogged Aston Villa into third spot.
Anelka struck his 21st goal of the campaign after 19 minutes to earn the Blues their first league win at Villa Park for 10 years.
It was his first goal in nine league games and brought an end to Villa's 13-game unbeaten sequence in the top flight stretching back to early November.
Hiddink restricted himself to a little jig of delight after seeing Anelka lift some of the gloom which has been surrounding Stamford Bridge.
But his influence is already evident in galvanising the players who had underperformed during the closing stages of the Luiz Felipe Scolari reign.
Hiddink opted to play Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka up front after their success when reunited against Watford in the FA Cup - and Chelsea responded to his appointment by producing a masterful display in the opening 45 minutes.
They knocked the ball around in confident style at leisure with Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and Mikel taking command in midfield while Anelka and Drogba were a constant threat.
In contrast, Villa - playing their third game in six days - lacked their usual cutting edge with their front players unable to make much of an impression apart from the occasional dangerous cross from Ashley Young.
The home side came more into the game in the second half and enjoyed a greater share of possession as Chelsea sat back with Ashley Young finding more space on the left flank.
But Petr Cech, who has been under the spotlight after some uncertain displays in recent weeks, produced a couple of crucial saves to protect his side's lead.
Drogba had the first effort on target - a powerful low drive from a narrow angle which was dealt with by Brad Friedel - and Lampard's dipping long range effort was only just too high.
Cech gave the Blues a scare when he failed to cling onto a low cross from James Milner - and when the loose ball broke to Emile Heskey the striker was unable to keep down his left footed attempt.
It was a rare moment of danger from the home side and after 19 minutes Anelka put Chelsea ahead with his sixth goal in six meetings with Villa.
Lampard was the creator with a superb piece of skill which enabled him to race clear of Curtis Davies and Stiliyan Petrov before sliding a pass through to Anelka.
The former Arsenal striker showed great composure in dinking the ball over Friedel into the corner of the net for his 21st goal of the campaign.
Chelsea looked a class above their opponents as they moved the ball around in impressive style to leave Villa often chasing shadows.
Friedel needed to pull off a superb one-handed save to keep out John Terry's thumping header from a Lampard corner.
Villa struggled to get into the game as an attacking force but in the 33rd minute Ashley Young came close to equalising when his curling free-kick hit the crossbar. Heskey was the first to react to the rebound but he headed well wide.
O'Neill would have demanded a response for his side after the break but it was Terry who came close to doubling Chelsea's lead after 49 minutes.
The England captain met a Lampard corner with a firm header - but Petrov was able to clear off the line with Friedel beaten.
Carlos Cuellar became the first player to be yellow carded after 52 minutes for a foul on Anelka.
Cech was forced to make his first meaningful save after 54 minutes when he beat out a fierce drive by Gabriel Agbonlahor after a slip by Alex.
Villa started to build some momentum and Cech turned aside a powerful effort from Gareth Barry.
But Chelsea finished strongest and they had the best two chances of the closing stages.
Drogba could have wrapped up the points after a mistake by Cuellar - but he lofted his shot into the Holte End, before Friedel denied Jose Bosingwa at close range.
Hiddink encouraged by Chelsea win After the game Hiddink revealed how encouraged he was after starting his temporary tenure as Chelsea boss with a win.
''It's a very good start in new circumstances and a new situation,'' he said. ''What pleased me most was the first half, we played very good football, had good possession and were dangerous.
''The only thing we didn't do was score a second to kill the game.''
''It is important - if you see Villa's home record, it's good we could break that.''
The Chelsea players came together in a show of solidarity after the full-time whistle - perhaps responding to suggestions there are cliques within the squad - although Hiddink played down the significance.
He told Sky Sports 1: ''I'm analysing it but I didn't see what has sometimes been described as a big division.
''When they hugged each other afterwards, I don't think it was showing off for the camera. I think it's real.''
Goal-scorer Anelka hopes Chelsea's 1-0 win can kick-start a winning run under Hiddink.
Anelka, who celebrated his 21st goal of the season at Villa Park, believes Saturday's win shows the character in the Chelsea side.
He told Sky Sports 1: ''We showed it last week and again, today, we showed a lot of character because it was a hard game.
''It is good for all the players and for the new coach as well because we can continue this winning way and we hope we can win more games.
''It is going to be difficult but we think it is possible. We hope we are back in the race.' Watford 1 v 3 Chelsea
The Blues make the last eight but only after Watford took the lead. Nicolas Anelka was the hero; his hat-trick a master class in finishing. Resolute Watford shocked their visitors from a higher league with a counter-attack goal on 69 minutes but the response began just five stressful minutes later and Chelsea domination throughout was turned into a fair result - eventually!
Guus Hiddink watched the game from high in the stands alongside Roman Abramovich, very much leaving control to Ray Wilkins and just how much would the side be altered was the big question before kick-off.
Fit-again Petr Cech came back in but the main news was a debut for Michael Mancienne, asked to play right-back in place of absent José Bosingwa. It was not the position most familiar to the 21-year-old for his debut but one he had played on loan at QPR.
Ivanovic stood in for suspended John Terry but the other big story was a starting line-up place for Didier Drogba for the first time since Old Trafford a month ago.
The Ivorian almost announced his comeback with a telling contribution inside 20 seconds, his cross from the right dropping just out of Kalou's reach. Wilkins had selected a front three with Anelka right wide and the newly crowned African Young Player of the Year on the left.
Drogba then drew a flying save from keeper Scott Loach seven minutes in after a typical turn and early shot from 25 yards.
Chelsea were pressing very high up a pitch that was already covered in plenty of divots. This would not be an easy day for running with the ball.
Alex met a Lampard corner on 10 minutes but at full stretch, couldn't keep his header down. Mariappa headed on target at the other end from a deep free-kick but it was a comfortable collection for Cech.
From a similar free-kick for Chelsea, Brendan Rodgers's men were caught napping but with three Chelsea men in behind the back line and unattended, Kalou failed to find a colleague as he headed back across goal.
On 18 minutes, Watford attacked down the Chelsea left but Ashley Cole looked to have found touch. Referee Mike Dean decided he'd fouled Tommy Smith in the process. A few second later a yellow card was produced, Cole's fifth of the season. He will be suspended against the pace of the Aston Villa attack next weekend.
On 25 minutes, stand-in skipper Lampard warmed Loach's hands with a stinging free-kick. All Chelsea's efforts were coming from outside the area.
Watford had a brief hope of a penalty on 32 minutes as McAnuff took on and drew a foul from Alex but the incident occurred just outside the area.
Two minutes later the Blues finally cut through Watford with a passing move. It had pace, it had precision and in a flash Drogba had put Anelka through. The shot was stabbed past Loach but bounced off the far post and was cleared.
Watford had the last chance before the break but in front of a crowded goal, Rasiak's header was pushed away by Cech.
Chelsea started the second half with intent. Loach pushed away a Drogba close-range effort and a thumping Lampard drive smacked into the hoardings having missed by not much.
On 59 minutes Mancienne, who had looked comfortable in this company, advanced into space and switching to his left foot, let fly with a Lampard-like effort, clearing the bar by only a couple of yards.
Before then Watford had failed to capitalise on their fourth corner of the game - all defended with man-to-man marking by Chelsea and Ashley Cole stood on the far post.
An hour in came the best chance yet and the worse miss. After Cole had got in the way of a Drogba shot, the ball fell Ballack's way but from inside the six-yard box, he scooped over the bar and fell back on the turf in despair.
Chelsea were dominant. Anelka had a shot deflected wide after Kalou penetrated and then Ballack headed wide as Lampard returned an overhit Drogba corner.
The last thing that looked on the cards at this stage was a Watford goal but as the home side defended a corner, both Ivanovic and Alex got sucked into challenges inside the opposition half. Watford broke and the makeshift backline was caught out.
Clear through, substitute Tamas Priskin kept his cool and his shot looped in via Cech's body. Suddenly, Chelsea had that Barnsley feeling.
Stoch on for Mikel was Wilkins's immediate response, the youngster preferred to the Quaresma option, but it was one of the old heads that took charge with Drogba and Anelka now playing together as a front two.
The Watford goal had come on 69 minutes and it took just five minutes to draw level. It was Ivanovic who nodded on Lampard's cortm and as the ball fell at the far post, Anelka with back to goal hooked in from little more than a yard out.
The next stage of the salvage operation was to hit Watford while they were down and as Cole crossed from the left, Anelka's header on the run was guided perfectly inside the post. In just two minutes Chelsea had turned deficit into advantage.
Still the Hornets' string had not been totally drawn. It took a good Cech save to keep out McAnuff on 90 minutes but it was the Blues turn to counter-attck with great effect. Stoch and Kalou combined down the left and when the ball was centred, Anelka's shot from 15 yards out was pin point. Game over.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Mancienne, Alex, Ivanovic, A Cole; Ballack (Belletti 82), Mikel (Stoch 72), Lampard (c); Anelka, Drogba, Kalou.
Scorer Anelka 74, 76, 90+1.
Booked A Cole.
Watford (4-4-2): Loach; Hoyte, Mariappa, DeMerit (c), Doyley; Smith, L Williamson (Cowie 66), Jenkins, McAnuff; Rasiak (Priskin 66), Hoskins (O'Toole 75).
Scorer Priskin 69
Chelsea 0 v 0 Hull City
Problems on the home front continue as attacking promise of the first half gave way to a poor display after the interval.
It took a good save from debutant Quaresma early on, Ballack went close with a free-kick before the break and Terry should have scored as early as the second minute, but once again a five-man midfield and committed defence from a visiting team proved sufficient to take something away from the Bridge.
Chelsea can point to a legitimate penalty shout in the second half but for every chance the Blues had after the break, Hull came close to landing a sucker punch.
It was not the response every Chelsea follower was looking for after the grim events at Anfield.
Malouda was the player to make way for Quaresma The Frenchman wasn't on the bench either - young Miroslav Stoch the chosen wideman among the subs.
Hilario came in for injured Cech as the only other change, 18-year-old Rhys Taylor was on the bench.
Quaresma started on the left but would switch wings throughout the game and his first involvement was to win a free-kick out wide.
Taken by Lampard, it was flicked on by Ballack and Duke made a hurried save low down by his feet on the line. Terry was there to pounce, but from three yards out he scooped his shot over.
Geovanni attempted a typically long-range strike for Hull on nine minutes which flashed across Hilario's goal but in the end fell five-yards wide.
Quaresma, back on the left, sent over one of his trademark outside-of-the-right-boot crosses that Anelka attacked but couldn't make. That was after 15 minutes of Chelsea on top but not dominating.
Four minutes later it took a full-length finger-tip save from the Hull keeper to deny Quarsema a debut goal. Chelsea had only just defended a dangerous corner from the away team but suddenly broke with three men onto two defenders.
Kalou found the new arrival on the left who cut inside before curling a shot that was heading inside the post before Duke's interception.
Alex headed a corner over after 22 minutes, a powerful driving run by Lampard having created the initial pressure.
Now the Chelsea chances were coming. A well-directed Quaresma corner was cleared but with great technique it was volleyed back by Lampard, the ball striking a Hull body and flying wide.
At the other end Mikel was turned by Geovanni and then brought the Brazilian down in a dangerous position to earn a booking. The same player took the free-kick but was off-target.
There were more than justified questions soon after as to why Zayette wasn't cautioned for a similar foul on Ballack. 'Are you Riley in disguise?' sang the crowd.
Again the sinned-against player lined up the set piece but with the keeper rooted, Ballack missed by a whisker and found the sidenetting.
Terry had a thumping header from a corner blocked as Chelsea continued to look more dangerous than for some time at the Bridge, but with that vital cutting edge still proving elusive.
The next free-kick for the home team on 34 minutes meant it was Lampard's turn and rather than Ballack's guile, the England man went for sheer power. Zayatte stopped it with a part of the body he wouldn't have chosen. After several painful moments and treatment, the centre-back could continue.
Five minutes from the interval the Tigers showed some teeth, full-back Ricketts crossing for Kilbane on the left to head down and watch as it skimmed the post. On the stroke of half-time Marney backheaded a cross just over.
It might have been an improved first-half performance compared with many recent home games, but there was still a feeling of same old story as the teams went down the tunnel at the break.
The first incident of the second half was a booking for Ashbee, the Hull captain catching Ballack with a late challenge.
The visitors then threatened with another whipped in corner and header that Ballack blocked before a real Chelsea escape.
As Bosingwa dawdled and Mikel was indecisive, Fagan nipped in to take a loose ball and race through one-on-one with Hilario. The striker fluffed his big moment and chipped tamely into our keeper's arms.
That was to be Mikel's last involvement in of a game in which Geovanni had troubled him. Belletti was introduced 56 minutes in.
Ashley Cole attempted to take the initiative back but floated a lob over.
Quaresma's lively debut ended on 62 minutes when Drogba was brought on. Anelka pushed out wide.
But the second half continued in worrying fashion. Hull really should have taken the lead when the Chelsea defence was caught as if frozen, Geovanni slipping a reserve pass through to Marney who all alone, pulled his shot wide.
On 68 minutes it was time for Chelsea to feel aggrieved. Kalou's long-range drive was at best speculative but inside the area, it was stopped with what was clearly the arm of Dawson. Referee Lee Mason, in charge of his second Chelsea game, waved play on.
Deco came on for Ballack with 18 minutes remaining as Scolari continued to search for the winning mix.
There was a wait for the next chance, and when it came from Anelka's pass and Kalou's determination to win that ball, the Ivorian shot too close to Duke.
Another free-kick on 86 minutes meant another player's turn, Drogba's this time, but he was a long way off-target.
Still Hull continued to give as good as they got in the second period. It took strong Terry defending to make amends after an Alex mistake and then Ashbee thankfully volleyed wide as a corner was cleared his way.
The whistle blew moments later on Chelsea fourth scoreless draw of the season, the first of 2009, but Hull had their first clean sheet in 16 league games.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Hilario; Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, A Cole; Ballack (Deco 72), Mikel (Belletti 56), Lampard; Quaresma (Drogba 62), Anelka, Kalou.
Booked Mikel 26.
Hull(4-2-3-1): Duke; Ricketts, Turner, Zayatte, Dawson; Ashbee (c), Marney; Garcia, Geovanni (France 80), Kilbane; Fagan.
Booked Ashbee 47
