Guus Hiddink expressed his displeasure at Chelsea’s complacency in the second half against Norwich City, but spoke positively about setting new targets and potentially aiming for the European spots this season.
Chelsea could not have asked for a better start to their game against Norwich City on Tuesday, with Brazilian youngster Kenedy scoring a stunning goal to give the Blues a first-minute lead. Although Diego Costa made it two before the half-time interval, the home side fought back impressively in the second half and made life very difficult for Guus Hiddink’s men.
The Dutchman opined after the game that his side were sloppy in the first half, and that they should have killed the game off before half time. The 69-year-old was also unhappy with Chelsea’s complacency in the second half.
Complacent Chelsea gave Norwich City a lifeline
The Blues looked to be cruising at Carrow Road after going into the break with a two goal cushion, but a spirited Norwich City performance had them on the ropes in the final minutes of the game. Nathan Redmond pulled one back for Alex Neil’s men in the 68th minute, and went close with a couple of shots from outside the box following that effort.
Speaking after the game, Hiddink is quoted by ESPN FC as saying: “We didn’t want to get into a battle but they forced us into one very well.
“We were sloppy in the first half. We started very well with a beautiful goal from Kenedy and we could have finished it off early. We were a little bit complacent in the last phase to finish it off. Then we got the 2-0 but in the end they made our lives very difficult.”
Diego Costa looked to be offside for Chelsea’s second goal, but the Blues’ boss claimed that he had not seen the incident. “Normally I give fair comment but I haven’t seen it so far,” said the Dutchman.
Could the Blues aim for Europe?
Wednesday’s win was Chelsea’s third Premier League victory on the bounce, propelling them into the top half of the table for the first time since August last year. The Premier League champions currently sit in 8th position, four points behind West Ham United and five behind Manchester United, both of whom have a game in hand over the Blues.
Interim manager Guus Hiddink is understandably pleased with his side’s current run of form, suggesting that they may now be setting new targets for the season. “Now with the ambition of Chelsea we must set a new target and see what we can do in the direction of Europe,” said Hiddink.
“We have now won a few games in a row. We have to keep on winning. If everyone is on board and there are no big injuries, we’d like to go as high as possible towards the European spots.”
