LONDON — Chelsea crushed Crystal Palace 3-0 in the Premier League Sunday to give interim manager Guus Hiddink his first victory, while Tottenham Hotspur drew 1-1 at Everton.
Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa scored the goals at a sodden Selhurst Park as champion Chelsea recorded its first win since the sacking of Jose Mourinho.
It was its first win away from home since a 3-2 victory at West Bromwich Albion on Aug. 23 and elevated it to 14th place in the table, six points above the relegation zone.
"The very talented players, they start working also, to invest in the dirty work and not just the beautiful game they can play, because this league is very demanding," said Hiddink, who is managing Chelsea in an interim capacity for the second time.
"And if you think you can do it just on your quality, what's more given by talent than nature, then this league will kill you."
Chelsea lost Eden Hazard to a groin problem in the early stages, but took the lead in the 29th minute when Costa cut the ball back for Oscar to sweep home.
Willian made it 2-0 on the hour, crashing a superb shot into the top-right corner from outside the box, and six minutes later he teed up Costa to tap in his third goal in two matches.
Chelsea is now unbeaten in four league games since Mourinho's sacking — its longest run since last season — and captain John Terry credited Hiddink for lifting the mood at the club.
"This was the Chelsea of last year," Terry told Sky Sports.
"Guus has been great since he has come in. It was unfortunate what happened, but he has come in and picked everyone up.
"We are where we are. We have not dwelled on it. If we can put together a run of games, who knows? Hopefully we can go a long way."
While Chelsea is now 13 points below the Champions League places, Palace finished the weekend five points off the top four in seventh place.
"It is one of those games where we just wipe our nose and move onto the next game," said manager Alan Pardew, whose side had lost only one of its previous nine league games.
"I have every confidence in this group that we will be in and around the top 10."
Tottenham occupies the fourth and final Champions League spot following its 1-1 draw at Goodison Park, which prevented it from re-opening a five-point lead over fifth-place Manchester United.
Aaron Lennon put Everton ahead against his former club in the 22nd minute, controlling Romelu Lukaku's knock-down and lashing a half-volley past Hugo Lloris.
But 19-year-old Spurs midfielder Dele Alli equalized in first-half stoppage time, brilliantly chesting down Toby Alderweireld's 40-yard pass and guiding a volley into the bottom-right corner.
Everton, beaten by Leicester City and Stoke City in its two previous home games, remains 11th, nine points below the top four.
