John Obi Mikel showed his worth as Chelsea won 3-0 at Crystal Palace

Chelsea picked up their first win since Guus Hiddink’s return with a 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. John Obi Mikel was to the fore with the visiting supporters showing their appreciation.

 The sight of John Obi Mikel strolling around Chelsea's midfield isn't normally one to excite. But these aren't normal times for Chelsea and the team's travelling support responded to the midfielder's performance in their 3-0 win at Crystal Palace on Sunday by chanting his name throughout.

Mikel has become accustomed to a role on the fringes. A player synonymous with seeing out games, he didn't start back-to-back Premier League matches at all during 2015.

But he's begun 2016 with a second successive start and his presence could yet have a restorative quality for Chelsea.

Certainly, it seems likely that the Chelsea supporters will be more comfortable focusing their praise on a long-serving player not so associated with the recent problems under Jose Mourinho. But Mikel appreciated it nevertheless. "It's nice to see that," he told Sky Sports afterwards. "It was great."

So was he. And yet, not too much has changed. Mikel is still strolling. Remarkably, he clocked a lower top speed than any Palace player on the pitch, including Wayne Hennessey. But time and again he got into the right positions to shut down the opposition and that's part of what's been lacking.

There were the tackles, interceptions, clearances, blocks but even those details can be too showy for Mikel. Instead it's the ball recoveries - the times he was in the right place to pick up second balls and recycle possession - that really highlight his significance.

Mikel was the only player on either side to gain possession of the ball as many times as they surrendered it on Saturday - a statistic aided by his characteristically simple distribution. The 28-year-old found a team-mate with 78 of his 82 passes.

Of course, this ball retention can often come with criticism. Paired with Nemanja Matic, as he was against Manchester United at Old Trafford in midweek, it means Chelsea lose some creativity in the middle of the pitch.

However, paired with Cesc Fabregas, as he was at Selhurst Park, the balance is better. Fabregas provided the through-ball for the game's opening goal but Mikel did the rest, covering for his midfield partner and giving Chelsea's forward players a platform on which to play.

Both Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher said Fabregas "ran the show" but Graeme Souness preferred to focus on Mikel's contribution. "I don't think I've ever seen John Obi Mikel play so well," said Souness. "He bossed that area."