Chelsea´s Hiddink starts to dream in ´treble vision´

Guus Hiddink believes his “extraordinary” Chelsea squad could yet ensure a trying season ends with an unprecedented sweep of trophies.

The west Londoners, disheartened and hopelessly out of form under previous manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, were in danger of surrendering their status as one of the English Premier League’s ‘big four’ clubs until Hiddink was appointed on an interim basis in February.

Now, the Dutchman’s outlook is resolutely sunny. His team are still clinging onto their place in the title race, albeit as rank outsiders to Manchester United and Liverpool, and have booked their spot in the Champions League semi-finals, where they will face Barcelona.

On Saturday, they maintained their three-pronged assault on silverware by defeating Arsenal 2-1 in a hard-fought FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, courtesy of a dramatic late goal from in-form Didier Drogba.

It is a remarkable transformation, but Hiddink – swiftly becoming a bona fide Chelsea hero, despite insisting he will walk away for good at the end of May – was keen to play down his own role in Chelsea’s rise from the ashes.

“The whole squad is extraordinary – they always deliver and always react,” he said. “We made it very clear when I arrived – I did not want to give ourselves any excuses.

“The players have experience of winning, so I said from day one: ‘Let’s work.’ I have no complaints about the attitude. The guys have worked on what we practised and that shows you a lot about their personalities.”

Drogba has come to symbolise Chelsea’s renaissance. The Ivory Coast striker cut a disconsolate figure during Scolari’s reign at Stamford Bridge, when he frequently found himself out of favour.

There were suggestions the former Marseille player would consider his future at the end of the season but he has been revitalised under Hiddink – more purposeful in his all-round play and, most crucially, lethal again in front of goal.

“He’s been smiling, working hard.,” Hiddink added. “Before, he was not playing frequently, so he wasn’t smiling every day, but everyone signing for a big club knows there will be competition – you just have to contribute.

“It’s amazing, every week and every game he is scoring. But you can’t always value strikers just on goals, he’s making also every game a very determined and decisive play.”

Drogba’s latest effort, which saw him shrug off Mikael Silvestre to reach Frank Lampard’s pass just before the hapless goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski and stroke the ball into an unguarded net, was enough to win a tie which looked certain to be heading into extra-time.

Arsenal had forged ahead when Theo Walcott volleyed home Kieran Gibbs’ cross in the 14th minute, but Chelsea levelled, deservedly, mid-way through the first half when Florent Malouda beat Fabianski at his near post with a low shot.

Drogba’s late goal capped a miserable 24th birthday for the Pole, who was only playing because of Manuel Almunia’s ankle injury, although he was defended by his manager Arsene Wenger.

“We have to lift his confidence as he will feel guilty but we can’t blame one individual,” he said. “I believe Lukasz is a great goalkeeper. This wasn’t his best day but I believe in him.”

Wenger struggled to hide his crushing disappointment. It has been four years since the Frenchman returned silverware to north London and defeat here closed off one possible route to righting that wrong: his hopes now rest on the Champions League, where Manchester United provide a formidable obstacle in the semi-finals.

More imminently, there is a daunting trip to Liverpool in the Premier League on Tuesday and Wenger will need to summon all his motivational skills to ensure Arsenal’s season does not unravel.

“We have the biggest target in front of us, which is the Champions League,” he said.

“It is also important for us to come back as close as possible in the league and finish in a minimum in fourth place, so we have big targets in front of us. We have to respond very quickly.”

Wenger reserved his most damning criticisms for the Wembley pitch which, as he had predicted 24 hours previously, cut up badly from the first whistle.

“When you build a stadium with this kind of money, to not have a good pitch is laughable – it’s a disaster,” he said.