Cathartic Chelsea

Chelsea 5 - 1 Newcastle United.

With PSG looming on Tuesday, Chelsea have made a statement that they shouldn’t be underestimated in the Parc des Princes. Having battered the Toon Army with five gorgeous goals, the cogs seem to be turning finally for Hiddink’s team.

The players are expressing themselves and enjoying their football again. Hazard, Pedro, and Willian were excellent on the day, with dribbling and speed being the lethal weapons used. All goals were from open play - something not seen from Chelsea in ages.

John Terry is another potential casualty in the center back position but where one more defender is lost, another great forward is found. Bertrand Traoré has a 100% record - 2 goals in 2 games. The kid is making a claim to play with the men by finishing coolly and chasing the ball down non-stop.

Newcastle made life easy for the Blues; they are really in a bad way and it shows. The cotton wool was wrapped around the players Hiddink is looking to save for PSG so this performance should inspire one even better in Paris. The objective for these away matches is to not concede firstly, and maybe hopefully snatch a goal.

This new form under Hiddink has been lukewarm at best, but one hopes this rousing victory is the start of something new. The Dutchman has figured out some strategies and plays that he believes the Blues players can handle but there still needs to be some sharpening up in terms of keeping the ball over medium to large distances. The short pass interplay is delightful to see, but there is improvement to be had still in terms of possession play.

This was an appropriately timed release of attacking frustration with this being the tenth game - undefeated in all - for Hiddink’s term. The front men have been magnificent, with Diego Costa collecting his eighth goal in ten games today. Now the scene set in Paris is somewhat different.