Interim Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink has admitted that his side were punished for defensive naivety during their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City this evening.
Sergio Aguero netted a hat-trick for the visitors at Stamford Bridge as City climbed up to third in the Premier League table just days after securing their place in the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time.
It was Chelsea's heaviest home league defeat since November 2010, and Hiddink admitted that his side were outsmarted by Manuel Pellegrini's men.
"It was a difficult game against a well-organised and skillful team. It's not for nothing that they are at the top of Europe now," Hiddink told Sky Sports News.
"We sometimes had dominance in the game, but they were sharp and skilful on the counter-attack. We got caught. We were naive how we defended.
"We always want to win, but they have a class team and they are eager to go into at least fourth position in the Champions League. They are smart and we have to recognise that."
The result saw Hiddink lose two league games in a row as a manager for the first time since February 2004, during his time in charge of PSV Eindhoven.
Barney Corkhill
