Chelsea are now well and truly restored and a cohesive unit one more under Guus Hiddink, if the circumstances that led to their fourth goal in the FA Cup romp over MK Dons this afternoon are a reliable barometer.
The Blues were awarded a penalty on 54 minutes when Darren Potter dragged down Eden Hazard. The odds were on Oscar being allowed to take his tally for the afternoon to four but John Terry intervened and suggested Hazard should be able to covert the spotkick he had won. Oscar willingly agreed and Hazard made no mistake with a pressure free effort from 12 yards, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way for his first goal since May 3rd against Crystal Palace. It could just turn out to be the moment that kickstarts Hazard’s spluttering season and revives his Chelsea career. It also showed how just this dressing room is now reunited.
Minutes later, the confidence high Belgian teed up Bertrand Traore to convert his first Chelsea goal to make it five. The fact a youngster was on the scoresheet and another, Ruben Loftus Cheek, played the full 90 showed how this side is evolving under Hiddink, who is now unbeaten in nine matches since he was parachuted into to replaced the fired Jose Mourinho.
None of the previous eight matches has been as easy as this. Chelsea scored five but could have registered double that amount as they completely outclassed MK Dons. It was that easy that Diego Costa was able to be withdrawn just past the hour mark with the Watford game in mind, Willian was afforded a rest on the bench for 64 minutes and Oscar got the last 26 minutes off.
Chelsea ripped the Dons apart with some scintillating football that was reminiscent of the way they tore Swansea City apart at the Liberty Stadium last season.
Costa, Oscar, twice, and Branislav Ivanovic all could have scored by the time Kyle McFadzean gifted Costa possession, allowing the Spain international to lay the first on a plate for Oscar.
It already looked a case of damage limitation for the Championship so it came completely out of the blue when Potter beat Thibaut Courtois via a deflection off Nemanja Matic on 21 minutes. MK Dons never got as close again as Chelsea carved them apart time and time again. It was men against boys.
Costa denied Oscar a simple second at the far post but the pair managed to smile about it, rather have to be separated like they were in training earlier this month. Oscar did eventually make it two on 32 minutes and 12 minutes later, he had a hat-trick. The penalty he skied over against Watford is now a distant memory.
The excellent Baba Rahman, who had his best game in a Chelsea shirt, had a hand in the penalty for the fourth and then Traore made it five on 62 minutes. It looked like a question of how many Chelsea would get but they took their foot of the gas and long before the whistle Costa was signing autographs for the MK Dons fans. Another trip to Wembley beckons.
