WATFORD 1, CHELSEA 3

ON Valentine's Day Nicolas Anelka at least guaranteed there was some love at first sight for Guus Hiddink. Whether it will turn into a fully-blown affair is anybody's guess.

At times, Hiddink looked like he was on a date from Hell. But as he strolled purposefully around the perimeter of this homely stadium after the match - Roman Abramovich and a posse of flunkies trailing in his wake - he had the cut of a man who means business. Business made easier by Anelka.

Relationships are normally fleeting for Nicolas. Nine clubs in the career of a 29-year-old are testament to that.

Hiddink would earn his eye-watering amount of corn if he keeps Anelka happy and in this form. And he will go the way of Big Phil Scolari if he doesn't use the Frenchman in a conventional central striking role.

With Salomon Kalou employed as a left-sided attacking midfielder, Anelka often found himself isolated on the right flank. Coaches too clever for their own good - that's what formations like this are all about.

NIC IT - Nicola Anelka celebrates after scoring his team's first goal with Didier Drogba

You might have thought Ray Wilkins would know better. He was the temporary boss and his one-night stand looked to be heading for a million regrets when substitute Tamas Priskin put Watford ahead.

But to be fair to Wilkins, wide-eyed bemusement turned into tactical genius when he sent on Miroslav Stoch and moved Anelka into a more central role.

Even he might not have guessed it would turn into a 15-minute hat-trick. But credit to Wilkins should be tempered by the fact that he started with a holding midfielder, Jon Obi Mikel, against a mediocre Watford side in the first place.

Boasts

At least he has handed on the FA Cup baton to Hiddink, who will have plenty of raw material to work on when he rolls his sleeves up at the Cobham training complex today. And no one boasts more raw material than Didier Drogba.

He went through the full repertoire yesterday - a fizzing 25-yard shot that stretched impressive Watford keeper Scott Loach to the limit, a Beckham-esque Hollywood pass to Kalou and a bullying header - all inside the opening half-hour.

And, of course, a good old whinge - at Kalou, after he misguided a free header from formality territory.

Oh, nearly forgot - there was also the obligatory dive as he almost screwed himself into the ground when Jobi McAnuff brushed his sleeve.

ANEL OF A GUY - Chelsea's Nicolas Anelka, right, celebrates with team-mates Miroslav Stoch, Salomon Kalou and Didier Drogba

Thankfully, in the interests of justice, Loach just about managed to keep out Frank Lampard's dipping free-kick. But Drogba also looked more comfortable in a regulation attacking pairing and Hiddink will surely keep this pair in harness for as long as they remain fit in body and mind. And on recent evidence, the latter could be more prone to injury.

Michael Ballack certainly needs to get his head right. One passage in the second half was particularly illustrative of the task facing Hiddink's man-management skills.

Sloppy

First he was sloppy, then he was slovenly. In a farcical few seconds, Ashley Cole contrived to block a goal-bound shot from Drogba and the loose ball was an embossed goal invitation. Ballack turned it down, instead sending it into the rafters.

The reaction in the posh seats was intriguing. Abramovich laughed heartily, Hiddink stared coldly ahead.

And coldly became icily when Priskin made the most of Ballack's abject refusal to track back and raced on to a Lloyd Doyley pass.

FANCY - Nicolas Anelka's overhead kick

Petr Cech was quickly and bravely out but his helmet only helped guide Priskin's dink into the net. Ballack was the culpable figure until Anelka dug his German friend out of very dark hole.

Anelka's natural predatory instincts saw him turn a Branislav Ivanovic back-header into an equaliser courtesy of an overhead kick and then steal between two static defenders to head in Cole's cross.

It was enough to have Blues owner Roman chuckling again but still Hiddink wore a grim look.

At least the stone features cracked into something resembling a smile when Kalou's injury-time pass found Anelka in the box and his turn and shot was Premier League class against Championship mediocrity.

TWIST - Nicolas Anelka

There was plenty of chat of the score being unflattering to Brendan Rodgers' Hornets. But, quite honestly, it wasn't. Loach had to be outstanding to keep out Drogba on three occasions and Lampard on two while, going forward, they offered precious little.

McAnuff was their most inventive player and actually had a chance to level the scores before Chelsea's third but Cech denied him.

And the fact that a Blues defence - albeit a very makeshift one - allowed a sluggish Watford to break through on a handful of occasions will seriously worry new boss Hiddink.

John Terry will be back from suspension but there remains a new, hitherto uncertainty in the Blues' rearguard. Cech is still not back to his authoritative best.

But the spring in his step on that walk around the cinder track and his grinning entrance into the post-match dressing room reflected a man who knows that there is still plenty of talent at Stamford Bridge.

That talent has become lazy, sulky, moody. The sort of words that you used to associate with Anelka.

Not any more. And if he can become diligent, determined and dedicated, then there's no reason why Hiddink cannot get a few more to convert to the cause.

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