Crystal Palace 0 Chelsea 3: Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa finding form, but problems continue for Eden Hazard

ANALYSIS: A look at the star man, moment of the match and what's up next after Chelsea win 3-0 against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park

STAR PLAYER

Willian, Chelsea

The Brazil midfielder remained one of Chelsea's few shining lights amid the gloom that shrouded Jose Mourinho's descent towards the sack. The 27-year-old cajoled Chelsea's attacking game at Selhurst Park, and then provided a thunderbolt strike for the second goal.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Wilfried Zaha summed up Palace's toothless attack by spurning a gilt-edged one-on-one with Chelsea leading 1-0 approaching the hour mark. Mere moments later Willian had blasted the ball home for Chelsea's second goal, killing off the tie and twisting the knife even deeper on Zaha's glaring miss.

VIEW FROM THE BENCH

'Lucky' Guus Hiddink lived up to his nickname here, Chelsea's interim manager able to profit as acquisitions from the Jose Mourinho era finally returned to something approaching form.

Cesc Fabregas showed he might just be ready to deliver consistently on the field again and provided the killer pass for an opening goal then laid on by Diego Costa, another alleged villain of this Stamford Bridge season.

Hiddink has persisted with the same 4-2-3-1 formation favoured by Mourinho, but has benefited from the likes of Fabregas and Costa showing signs of recovery since his return for a second stint as interim boss with the Blues.

Palace, meanwhile, continue to suffer the natural shortcomings of a side without a natural goal poacher.

Lee Chung-yong battled manfully slotting in for Yohan Cabaye, but how Palace missed the suspended France midfielder - and how Alan Pardew's side struggled without Yannick Bolasie, a long-term absentee with hip trouble.

MOAN OF THE MATCH

Whatever the green shoots of recovery for Chelsea, Eden Hazard remains one Stamford Bridge figure desperately seeking the form of last season.

While the likes of Fabregas and Costa might just be getting their acts together, Hazard continued to look out of sorts before limping off on the quarter-hour mark.

Last year the 24-year-old blasted 19 goals en route to the PFA player of the year award: this term he is yet to register on the score sheet. Chelsea cannot afford to carry a make-weight attacking midfielder, especially given their preference for a lone striker.

TWEET OF THE MATCH

"Excellent day all round. England 629-6 declared while ChelseaFC call it a day at 3-0. £CFC" - Chelsea fan and former England cricket captain Alec Stewart (StewieCricket)

NEXT UP

Southampton v CRYSTAL PALACE, FA Cup, Saturday January 9

CHELSEA v Scunthorpe, FA Cup, Sunday January 10