Just two months ago Chelsea left Anfield in disarray and with a manager exposed as being out of his depth. Tonight they return to face Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-final confident they are on their way to being crowned Europe's best.

It has been a dramatic turnaround for Chelsea. When they lost 2-0 to Liverpool in February their season was in danger of falling apart. Such was the level of gloom, there were fears Chelsea wouldn't even qualify for the competition next term let alone go on to win it in Rome next month.

Owner Roman Abramovich has taken a lot of criticism for many of his decisions since he bought the club in 2003, yet no one can now dispute he wasn't right to replace the beleaguered Luiz Felipe Scolari with the unflappable Guus Hiddink.

The Dutchman's arrival has paid off with Chelsea's climb back into the title race, which has also eased fears of finishing outside the top four and not playing in the Champions League next year. But they could be set for the biggest reward of all by finally winning Europe's premier club competition - and Hiddink is the key.

Much has been made of the fact that this is the fifth straight year that the Blues have met Liverpool in the Champions League and the teams know each other inside and out. However, Hiddink will ensure that Rafael Benitez's side will face a different Chelsea from the one they easily beat earlier in the season, with a win at Stamford Bridge as well as the one at Anfield.

Captain John Terry said: "Liverpool are going to face a stronger team than the one they faced two months ago. On that day we didn't play too well and we still kept them at bay for 89 minutes. We are a much better team now.

"The manager has come in, we have reformed, regrouped and pushed on again. That is why we are pushing the way we are in the League and we will keep doing so. At the moment we are in as good a form as anybody.

"Since the manager took over we have posed a greater goal threat. We have scored in every game bar one and defensively they will have to beware of us.

"We are not going to sit back, that's not the manager's way and it's not the players' way either."

Hiddink has done little to change the formation but it is his affect on the players which has sparked the green shoots of recovery.

A perceived lack of fitness was given as the main reason for their downfall under Scolari but Chelsea legend Kerry Dixon has a different view.

He said: "Hiddink hasn't changed too many obvious things but there is a big difference in the desire and the level of performances now.

"Didier Drogba in particular has come back to life and you see in the other players that a weight has been lifted. They are now playing with a bit of freedom.

"The biggest difference he has made is restoring their self-belief. He has made certain players feel wanted again and that they are part of things at Chelsea. In Drogba's case that didn't happen under Scolari.

"They have lost just one game under Hiddink, I think they would have lost more if Scolari had stayed. Liverpool would definitely have preferred to face Chelsea under Scolari than under Hiddink."

The 62-year-old will still have to prove himself tactically as Liverpool under Benitez have proved very difficult for Chelsea to beat.

They may have come out on top in the semi-final last year but it took a huge stroke of luck in the form of a John Arne Riise own- goal in the first leg at Anfield to turn the tie their way.

A Chelsea player has still to score at Liverpool in the Champions League, although the chances of that changing have increased with Drogba, who has netted four goals in his last seven games, set to start after recovering from an ankle injury.

Hiddink's hopes may rest on how he decides to utilise Michael Essien (left). With Jose Bosingwa out with a hamstring problem, he could use him as an attacking outlet at right-back.

Then there is the option of deploying him as the holding midfielder in order to keep Steven Gerrard quiet or he could be pushed further forward.

Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin has no doubt Hiddink will get it right and said: "He is very tactically astute.

"Against Juventus, Hiddink put Essien on the right side of midfield and I really questioned that, but it worked to perfection.

"Juventus were very dangerous down their left flank, so it nullified that straight away and it also allowed Bosingwa to hammer down Chelsea's right side and create problems.

"It could not have worked better and he has just been nailing things like that since he came to Chelsea. It will be interesting to see who Hiddink uses as his holding midfielder against Liverpool. I suspect it might be Essien. I do not know for sure - but I know a man who does and that is Hiddink."