Guus Hiddink urges Chelsea to show 'pride' and climb the Premier League table during run-in

Chelsea are unbeaten in the Premier League under Guus Hiddink and have amassed a total of 26 points from 14 games since the Dutchman took charge at Stamford Bridge.

Such a tally can only be beaten by Spurs and Leicester in the same time period, meaning the Blues would occupy third place in a hypothetical table for points gained during the 69-year-old's tenure.

Chelsea's total is the same as both West Ham and Southampton's but the reigning champions are placed above their rivals by virtue of a superior goal difference and sit comfortably within the Champions League places.

Hiddink's first official game was a 3-1 victory against Sunderland in December, although the manager was given a watching brief and did not take charge on the sidelines, after Jose Mourinho parted ways with the club due to a poor start to the season.

Hiddink's arrival has clearly led to an upturn in results but in reality the club are currently 10th win eight games left to play.

The Blues have only won back-to-back games once this season, which was achieved during a run of three wins on the bounce against Newcastle, Southampton and Norwich, with a failure to convert draws into wins the most likely reason why Hiddink's men could miss out on a place in Europe.

10 points separate Chelsea and the top four but Hiddink is determined to continue to push his side as high up the table as possible during the run-in, even if they face a relatively alien situation given that there is little left to play for.

"First of all we want to get the maximum out of the team regarding the league table, to get the best position possible," he told the club's official website.

"We are unbeaten in the league so far and when you play as a big club in a difficult situation, you must have pride as well.

"But also we appeal to the players to say hey, you are a big club which has had a very difficult season and is recovering step by step."

Chelsea face trips away to Aston Villa and Swansea following the conclusion of the international break before a crucial game against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.