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Chelsea beat Blackburn Rovers 2-0 in the Premier League in manager Guus Hiddink's final game at Stamford Bridge.

Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka scored in each half as the home side strolled to a comprehensive victory amid a celebratory atmosphere.

Hiddink took over for the remainder of the season following the sacking of Luiz Felipe Scolari in February, with the Blues in danger of dropping out of the top four.

Now they have secured an automatic berth in the Champions League group stage, reached the FA Cup final and come within a dodgy penalty decision or four of earning a chance to atone for last season's agonising European final defeat to Manchester United.

The Dutchman stood up and bowed to the Stamford Bridge faithful in the second half as the crowd chanted 'Roman, sign him up'.

Hiddink has remained deaf to the pleas for him to stay from the Chelsea faithful, while Roman Abramovich simply cannot undermine his position at the Russian FA by removing the national team manager and installing him permanently in London.

Carlo Ancelotti and Frank Rijkaard remain the favourites to take over, but whoever replaces Hiddink will inherit a formidable squad.

Much has been made of the large number of older players, but the likes of Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba are players at their peak who have at least one more year left at the highest level.

Lampard and John Terry can be to Chelsea what Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are to Manchester United; exemplary figures and model professionals capable of performing at the highest level well into their 30s.

The gradual emergence of wide men Malouda and Salomon Kalou gives further cause for optimism at Stamford Bridge, while Joe Cole will return at the start of next season.

Malouda's goal was a peach. With less than four minutes gone, Jose Bosingwa released Anelka down the right, and he crossed for his fellow Frenchman Malouda who got in front of Keith Andrews and buried a powerful header from15 yards.

By that point, there had already been chances at both ends, with Morten Gamst Pedersen firing straight at Petr Cech in the first minute, followed quickly by a Lampard shot that was blocked by Gael Givet.

Anelka fired straight at Paul Robinson from eight yards after Ashley Cole teed him up before Lampard went close again on 18 minutes, striking his first-time shot against the woodwork.

Blackburn also played with a sense of freedom allowed by their safety from relegation. Vince Grella saw a shot blocked before Chris Samba sent an acrobatic volley wide.

Stand-in striker Samba then sent a close-range head over before returning to his more familiar position at centre-back after an injury forced off Rovers captain Ryan Nelsen.

The second half proved an absolute stroll for Chelsea, especially after Anelka put away the second goal.

The striker fired a low shot into the left corner from the edge of the box on 59 minutes, moving level with Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the Premier League scoring charts on 18.

With Ronaldo likely to be rested for Manchester United's trip to Hull on the final day, Anelka has a great opportunity to take the prize outright when Chelsea travel to Sunderland next Sunday.

Alex Chick / Eurosport