Chelsea finally banished the demons of Jose Mourinho reign in grand style with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday.
Three sublime goals from attacking trio of Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa ensured the Champions commenced the 2016 on a winning note with its resurgence on track.
Oscar scored from close range in 29 minutes following a Diego Costa cut-back after being released by a Cesc Fabregas.
Willian doubled the lead on the hour mark with thunderbolt strike before Costa tapped in his third goals in two games in the 66 minutes to seal Chelsea’s first victory under interim manager, Guus Hiddink.
The 3-0 victory against Crystal Palace, the club’s biggest home defeat under Alan Pardew, propelled Chelsea up to 14th position on the log with 23 points from 20 matches.
Nigeria’s international, John Obi Mikel emerged from the battle of Selhurst as the most rated Chelsea player with his sublime performance in the heart of the Blues midfield gathering 8/10 above his colleagues.
Squawka statistics showed that the Super Eagles midfielder who was consigned to bench under Jose Mourinho, notched 96 percent pass accuracy, won three tackles, two blocks and one interception during the game.
By Olisemeka Obeche