Chelsea have begun to show signs of improvement since Guus Hiddink's return to the club, and the 3-0 victory over an in-form Crystal Palace side is the latest step in the right direction.
Goals from; Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa secured the victory for the Blues, with the striker earning himself the man of the match award for his efforts, one of the major positives from the victory.
But even though Chelsea have started to begin playing quality football once again, with results falling in place, Hiddink isn't going to let it go to his, or his squads heads, and given that they sit in 14th place, he can quite easily be forgiven for not getting overly optimistic too early.
Positive signs
Chelsea's first victory under their new manager is exactly the result that was needed, to boost the spirit of both the players and the fans, and considering the defeat was Palace's first in seven, it certainly is an impressive result.
Everyone involved will now be hoping that this is a strong sign that Chelsea's second half of the season could be more positive, "Everyone knows there's a lot of quality," Hiddink happily reminded people after the game regarding his squad, and it seems as if they are starting to show it.
Costa's improved form will be crucial should Chelsea be hoping to achieve anything this season, and an assist and a goal showed that he is ready to step up and show his fighting spirit.
Fighting is something that Costa seems to have spent too much time on throughout this season, and that's something that Hiddink has highlighted as an area for him to improve,"He must not waste energy on wrong actions that loses his quality."
Hiddink is now looking towards the potential of earning a top four spot that would guarantee Champions League football, something that is, "mathematically" still possible to earn, but the Blues would need to maintain this level of form should they hope to gain that.
It was a win that Hiddink described as one they, "desperately needed" following back-to-back draws, and he believes it was an, "important step" in the right direction for his squad.
Remaining grounded
Despite the victory and improved performances, Hiddink knows that it will be, "very hard" for Chelsea to achieve the bare minimum league aim of a top four finish, and insists his team must not, "get carried away."
The defending Champions trail fourth placed Tottenham Hotspur by 13 points, something that will be no small feat should they hope to achieve it, and now it will be crucial that Chelsea remain consistent during the rest of the campaign, starting with their FA Cup tie against Scunthorpe United, a fixture they can't afford to lose. Hiddink won the trophy during his first stint at Chelsea, and he'll be hoping to repeat that feat.
