Three more shiny points from the Golden Guus and Chelsea have taken a giant stride back up the Premier League.

Victory at Norwich on Tuesday even prompted Guus Hiddink to set his sights on catching up with Manchester United, five points better off in fifth.

'We have to set new targets in the direction of Europe,' said Hiddink. 'We'd like to go as high as possible. It is not Chelsea's standard to be happy to be out of the relegation zone.'

Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink poses with a Yokohama tyre during a trip to Geneva on Wednesday

Hiddink signs his autograph for Miss Yokohama, Chelsea are sponsored by the Japanese tyre company

The Chelsea manager saw his side defeat Norwich 2-1 at Carrow Road on Tuesday evening

Quite right, too. Especially as he seems to have no trouble winning matches in English football.

Hiddink has lost only twice in 37 games across his two short spells at Stamford Bridge.

In the Premier League, he has lost one: a 1-0 defeat at Tottenham, to a goal by Luka Modric, on March 29, 2009.

On his return, Hiddink is unbeaten in 11 league games, a run which has lifted the fallen champions from the brink of relegation to eighth.

They have won the last three in the Premier League, showing some of the old Chelsea fighting spirit to summon a late winner at Southampton and cling onto the lead at Norwich.

With 10 to play, the Dutchman can suddenly detect a late dash for the European places.

Chelsea cannot compile more than 69 points. Last year, they won it with 87 but last season 69 would have been enough to finish fifth.

In 2012, it was good enough for fourth.

Hiddink's priority will undoubtedly remain the Champions League and the FA Cup, momentum is once again rolling in the right direction.

Two home fixtures in the Premier League are followed by away trips to relegation haunted Aston Villa and Swansea.

By the time they go to Manchester City on April 16, Chelsea could easily be back in the top six.

All of which is quite remarkable if you recall was a mutinous mess they were in when Jose Mourinho was sacked on December 18.

Hiddink is clearly a soothing presence, a master at cajoling and massaging egos.

When he replaced Luiz Felipe Scolari in 2009, he listened to the senior pros and acted on what they thought had gone wrong in a regime where training was not testing enough.

This time, he has restored calm to the dressing room and re-motivated some of the lost souls in a talented squad.

But he is shrewd, astute and vastly experienced.

Chelsea's only defeat under Hiddink came thanks to a winning goal by then Tottenham ace Luka Modric

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is keen to keep Hiddink within his inner circle due to his recent success

HIDDINK'S MANAGERIAL STATS AND CHELSEA'S REMAINING PL FIXTURES Chelsea (first spell): 16 wins, 5 draws, 1 defeat Chelsea (second spell): 8 wins, 6 draws, 1 defeat Remaining Premier League fixtures: Chelsea vs Stoke - March 5 Liverpool vs Chelsea - Awaiting rescheduled date Chelsea vs West Ham - March 19 Aston Villa vs Chelsea - April 2 Swansea vs Chelsea - April 9 Chelsea vs Manchester City - April 16 Bournemouth vs Chelsea - April 23 Chelsea vs Tottenham - May 2 Sunderland vs Chelsea - May 7 Chelsea vs Leicester - May 15 Advertisement

With the title out of reach, he appreciated the demand from the board to introduce the young players like Bertrand Traore and Kenedy.

He has done this but, like Mourinho, he has shown little faith in Baba Rahman and is reluctant to give Ruben Loftus-Cheek the responsibility of a deep midfield role.

After the win at Norwich, when Traore made his first Premier League start, he did not hide from the fact the 20-year-old had found it difficult and made mistakes.

Could he show the same patience with his job on the line?

As an interim boss, it is easier to appease the restless and convince them to knuckle down until the end of the season.

There is no internal power struggle. Your limits are well defined.

Tough decisions can be set aside for the next manager or diverted upstairs to the boardroom.

Hiddink will miss very little and his honest opinions will reach the ears of Roman Abramovich regarding the players and personalities needed.

But, at ground level, there is no need for him to seek confrontation.

Chelsea have so much quality in the squad that once the mood is right then the football should flow naturally, at least to a certain degree.

Clearly, despite the upturn in form, this team is short of its high watermark reached during the opening months of the 2014-15 campaign.

Abramovich must be careful they do not lapse into a team which can coast into the top four by virtue of supreme ability while lacking the hunger and drive to compete for the title over 38 games.

Italy national team head coach Antonio Conte looks set to replace Hiddink as Chelsea's first-team manager

Chelsea's latest win under Hiddink came thanks to goals from Kenedy and Diego Costa (pictured)

This is perhaps the reason an intense, high-energy coach such as Antonio Conte has been identified as the next permanent manager.

Hiddink's value, nevertheless, has been reinforced by his work over the last three months and raises the question of whether he has earned the chance to take up the role on a permanent basis.

Abramovich will probably let his head rule this one, having allowed emotion to get the better of him in 2012 when he gave Roberto Di Matteo the job permanently on the back of his Champions League triumph and soon regretted the decision.

The difference here is Hiddink's adaptability and the Chelsea owner will certainly try to keep the 69-year-old Dutchman inside his inner-circle in an advisory role.

Unlike 2009, he does not have another job to step back into, although a few offers may be on the way if he keeps winning games.