Higuain, Hazard rout Huddersfield as Chelsea cruise

Gonzalo Higuain and Eden Hazard on Saturday inspired a 5-0 demolition on Huddersfield as Chelsea FC returned to winning ways.

Chelsea Manager, Maurizio Sarri had backed Gonzalo Higuain to form a lethal partnership with Eden Hazard after his arrival at the club.

Blues boss Sarri had been under fire after Chelsea suffered their heaviest Premier League defeat for 23 years in a humiliating 4-0 loss at Bournemouth on Wednesday.

Amid reports the Italian is already in danger of the sack less than a year after taking charge, he was indebted to his old friend Higuain for lifting the gloom around Stamford Bridge.

Higuain, signed on loan from Juventus at Sarri’s behest after their successful spell together at Napoli, opened his account early in the first half of Chelsea’s biggest win of the season.

It was the start of an influential display from the Argentine and, with Hazard free to return to his preferred role on the flanks after a spell up front, Chelsea looked far more vibrant.

“When Higuain arrived he wasn’t at the top of his physical condition. Now he is improving. Apart from the goals, my feeling is he is really very suitable to play close to Hazard,” Sarri said.

“For us it is very useful, for Higuain, he will be able to score a lot of goals, but also it will be good for Eden.”

Hazard’s controversial penalty doubled Chelsea’s lead before halftime after referee Paul Tierney ruled Cesar Azpilicueta was fouled inside the area, when the offence actually took place just outside.

That welcome piece of good fortune for Sarri was followed by further goals for Hazard, Higuain and David Luiz after the interval as Chelsea ended a run of two successive league defeats in emphatic fashion.

“We started really very well. In the first 20 to 25 minutes I saw my football. We moved the ball very fast,” Sarri said.

“But we need to understand that we shouldn’t need to lose a game to have motivation.

“We have to improve on this, the consistency, the motivation. We need to improve the mentality.”