Anelka predicts Blues resurrection

Hat-trick hero Nicolas Anelka insists Chelsea’s 3-1 FA Cup victory over Watford can become the turning point of their season.

Chelsea were stunned by substitute Tamas Priskin’s 69th-minute opener for the Hornets at Vicarage Road but a superb treble from the France international put the Blues into the quarter-finals of the competition.

Anelka, asked by assistant boss Ray Wilkins to play on the flank instead of as the main striker, responded superbly to take his tally for the season to 20 goals.

He would prefer to play as the main central striker but Wilkins revealed he had taken the Frenchman aside the day before the game to explain the situation.

However, it was only when Chelsea switched to a 4-4-2 formation after going a goal down that Anelka’s true strengths shone through alongside partner Didier Drogba.

Now the former Bolton man believes the result could make all the difference to the rest of their season after the sacking of Luiz Felipe Scolari and the appointment of Guus Hiddink as interim coach.

“We have had a difficult period but we showed a lot of character,” said Anelka. “The most important thing now is to win games.

“It is always difficult when you change the manager. We had a strange period when we had a lot of chances but could not score.

“But I hope we have reversed everything and now we will win a lot of games in the league.

“It was very hard, especially against a Championship side. They fight until the end of the game and that’s what they did.

“But we deserved to win. We wanted to win. We knew we were capable of doing it. Obviously the new manager was in the stadium but it was good to come back in a winning way.

“In the last one or two months we have had a lot of chances but the ball didn’t want to go in. We had a lot chances against Watford but when you stay focused and you have a lot of big players in the team, you know you can score.

“We have a big team, big players, and even when we were losing 1-0 we knew we had the capability to win the game.”

Chelsea now go to Aston Villa in the Barclays Premier League next weekend knowing that they must win to keep their title hopes alive.

Villa are third in the table and two points ahead of the Blues but Anelka is confident Chelsea can claim a crucial away success in Hiddink’s first game in charge.

“The Aston Villa game next week is massive because they are in front of us,” said Anelka.

“If we are still to be in chase for the Premier League we have win. We will go there to win. It is going to be tough but I think a lot of big players and we can do it.”

Hiddink watched from the stands at Vicarage Road and officially starts work with the squad tomorrow. It is something the Chelsea players are already excited about.

“We know him as a manager and what he has done before with a lot of teams,” added Anelka. “We look forward to working with him.”

Anelka’s treble, including two goals inside three minutes, was just the tonic for Chelsea after such a difficult week and Wilkins revealed how he had given the France international some quality time.

“I spoke to Nic on Friday because I know his preference is to play through the middle,” said Wilkins.

“I sat down with him and explained that I wanted him to play as wide as he possibly could on the right-hand side. I wanted to get a response face-to-face and I was pleased with what I got.

“It has been a tough week for the club but I thought the attitude of the players was exceptional. I had no panic in me when we went a goal down. They have a dangerous will to win.

“I could see when they turned up in their collar and ties that they were ready for a rumble.”