Guus Hiddink turns focus to Euro conquest

Chelsea's title challenge may have ended with a whimper but raising the white flag with five matches still remaining could do them a massive favour.

Even Blues boss Guus Hiddink conceded that a gap of six points to leaders Manchester United, who also have one game in hand over his team, is beyond his undoubted talents.

A disappointing goalless draw at home, where they were fortunate to finish on level terms, is not the way John Terry and Co would have liked to concede defeat.

Chelsea's strength over the past few years has been built around their determination never to give up.

Yet in truth, of all the three trophies the club were trying to win in the final weeks of the season, the Premier League was always a case of hope rather than expectation.

Chelsea's dressing room was understandably still a sombre place after referee Mark Halsey blew the final whistle on their title bid last night but there was cause for optimism among the gloom.

For instead of Chelsea suffering the strain of fighting on three fronts, Hiddink can fully concentrate on the task of beating Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals.

The first leg in the Camp Nou is just five days away, with the return match coming a week later, and the Dutchman is now able to rest some of his key players in between.

Chelsea have tough London derbies at West Ham on Saturday and at home against Fulham the following week but the games no longer have the same importance. The club are still keen to finish in the top three to secure automatic qualification for the Champions League next season, yet they should be able to make changes and still stay ahead of fourth-placed Arsenal, who are six points behind them.

It means certain players can be kept fresh for Barcelona. Michael Essien looked like his six month lay-off with a knee injury this season caught up with him against Everton and even in-form duo Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard looked off the pace.

Hiddink, who has refused to rotate his team since he took charge on February, has certainly decided it's time to change tack. He said: "We will make the analysis on players who are maybe in the overload zone. One or two might be rested. When we play West Ham we won't have the approach to let it slip away but we have to focus more on the Champions League games."

The knowledge that Barcelona had a much easier time of it by beating third-placed Sevilla 4-0 in La Liga last night just gave him even more cause to tinker with his side. Barca are still involved in a title race of their own.

But on hearing of the Catalan giants' victory, Hiddink said: "Barcelona like to play beautiful football and it doesn't cost them much effort because they dominate most of their games. It's a little bit different in England because you have to play very physical games. You are challenged to.

"The way they play, they can suffer a bit less than we do. In England you have to fight no matter what the team are."

Everton certainly showed a lot of fight as well as quality in the goalless draw and proved they will be very tough to beat when the two sides meet again in the FA Cup Final next month. They had the majority of the chances and were most impressive at the back.

Boss David Moyes took great satisfaction from his team's efforts, coming just three days after beating Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final.

He said: "We're Everton and we have to be resilient. The confidence we got from the result on Sunday - we feel great. I have to say well done to them. It was another terrific effort."

At least the home side could find comfort in keeper Petr Cech's performance, after he pulled off fine saves from Jo and Tim Cahill. Drogba almost stole all three points late on but his fierce shot cannoned off the bar.