Chelsea’s interim manager, Guus Hiddink, was full of praise for John Mikel Obi, after the midfielder put in a fine display, as the Blues beat Crystal Palace 3-0 on Sunday.
The Nigerian international, started alongside Cesc Fabregas in the middle ahead of Nemanja Matic and gave the Spaniard the freedom to push forward and create.
Hiddink expressed his admiration for Mikel Obi afterwards.
“He played very well but also in the previous game,” the Dutchman said.
“He’s the ideal player in my option to bring balance to the team. If the team is not willing to defend well, or hasn’t got the right balance, then you’ll concede a lot of goals. I think John Obi can be one of the key figures in bringing back that balance.
“On this podium very talented players can explore their qualities. He reads the game very well, he knows where the strength of the opponent is and knows how to combat that. He has very good sense, he doesn’t do it in a brutal way, he’s very elegant. Someone who can defend so smoothly is very beautiful.”
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