Gonzalo Higuain Scores First Chelsea Goals in 5-0 Win over Huddersfield

Chelsea put an end to their two-match losing streak in the Premier League on Saturday, beating Huddersfield Town 5-0 at Stamford Bridge. Gonzalo Higuain opened his account for the Blues with a brace, while Eden Hazard got two goals of his own.

The Belgian passed a personal milestone with his first goal:

Higuain got the opener with a clinical finish, timing his run beautifully after a great pass from N'Golo Kante. Hazard doubled the tally from the penalty spot just before half-time and rounded the goalkeeper for his second after the break. Higuain also got a second, again assisted by Kante, and David Luiz put the final score on the board.

The Blues were desperate for a win after consecutive losses against Arsenal and Bournemouth.

Higuain Signing Was January Window's Best Deal

Chelsea fans got their first real glimpse of what Higuain is capable of on Saturday, as the loanee put together his best showing in the Blues' shirt yet.

His first goal came in typical fashion, as the Argentinian avoided the offside trap and blasted home an excellent finish. Kante made the goal with his wonderful pass, but the run and finish from Higuain was something Napoli and Juventus fans have seen him do dozens of times.

Former England international Gary Lineker liked what he saw:

Higuain continued to threaten with his clever movement in the first half and got a second goal after the break, courtesy of another great finish. Huddersfield goalkeeper Jonas Lossl had no chance of stopping his curling effort, and Higuain rightly drew praise from sportswriter Simon Johnson for the great strike:

The 31-year-old was always likely to make a quick impact thanks to the connection with manager Maurizio Sarri. He arrived on loan in January as one of the world's best pure scorers, despite a poor run with Milan, and will not cost the Blues significant money until the summer, when they can make the move permanent.

The veteran forward is exactly what the Blues needed in their chase for a top-four finish, and the fact that he didn't cost them millions makes him January's best deal. Expect plenty more goals in the coming months.

Kante's Improvements Justify Sarri's Gamble

Back in November, Sarri's decision to move Kante out of his classic holding role and further up the pitch drew much criticism from fans and pundits alike. The tactician was even forced to defend himself in a press conference in November.

Sarri said the Frenchman needed time to adjust and learn his system, and Lineker didn't understand what the Italian was trying to accomplish:

The former Leicester City midfielder has come a long way since, however. He grabbed two assists against the Terriers on Saturday, displaying some tremendous vision around the box to find Higuain in promising positions.

Kante still bossed the midfield battle, but his contributions in attack stood out far more. The BT Sport pundits noted he seemed very comfortable in his new role, and Sarri may be on to something:

Moving Kante away from his holding role may have been detrimental in the short term, but Chelsea didn't hire Sarri to win the title in his first season. The former Napoli boss is known for an intricate system that takes time to implement, and he had a positive long-term impact on players such as Dries Mertens and Marek Hamsik at Napoli.

He's transforming Kante into a far more complete midfielder than he was, and based on what we saw against Huddersfield, fans should be excited for his future.

What's Next

The Blues will visit Manchester City on February 10. Huddersfield host Arsenal on Saturday.