Maurizio Sarri Says Chelsea Must Be More Consistent After Huddersfield Win

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has called on his players to improve their consistency following their 5-0 win over Huddersfield Town in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Blues were hammered 4-0 at Bournemouth on Wednesday, turning in their worst performance since Sarri took over as manager in the summer. They were much improved on Saturday, as braces from Eden Hazard and new signing Gonzalo Higuain saw them breeze past the division's bottom club.

When asked about his team's display, Sarri said the players shouldn't require a heavy loss like the one at Bournemouth to spark them into life, per Liam Twomey of ESPN FC:

"We need to understand that, in the future, we should not have to lose a game to add motivation. 

"We need to improve in this, the consistency, the mentality. They were really very motivated, but we lost 4-0 in the last match, so they had to react. Now we have to understand that the level of motivation must be the same in every match.

"I think that we started really very well. From the first 25, 30 minutes I saw my football. We moved the ball really very fast, with good movements with the ball, and were really dangerous."

Despite the heavy victory and brilliant performances from some key players, journalist Dan Levene noted that some sections of the fanbase didn't appeared totally invested in the display:

The win took the Blues back up into the top four. Arsenal can go back above them on Sunday, although they face a tough fixture away at champions Manchester City; Manchester United trail the Blues by five points with a game in hand, and they face Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

It was the kind of game Sarri needed, as his brand of football came under scrutiny after the Bournemouth loss. Not only did they play some spellbinding stuff in the final third against the Terriers, but Higuain also showed what he is capable of in front of goal.

The Argentina international has tended to thrive when working under Sarri:

What would also be encouraging for Chelsea supporters is the manner in which Higuain has been able to link up with Hazard early in his Blues career:

While Huddersfield are anchored to the bottom of the Premier League, there was a noticeable difference in the intensity and intelligence with which Chelsea operated with on Saturday compared to midweek.

That will frustrate Sarri but also give him confidence that this team can develop into a serious outfit. If Chelsea are to make a success of this season—they are in contention for the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and UEFA Europa League, as well as in a battle for a top-four spot—then they must scale these heights on a much more consistent basis.