Chelsea responded to Wednesday's 4-0 defeat to Bournemouth by handing out a thrashing of their own as they put five past Huddersfield Town at Stamford Bridge this afternoon.
On-loan Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain got off the mark for the Blues 16 minutes in when he buried a shot beyond Jonas Lossl, following N'golo Kante's reverse pass.
A penalty right at the end of the first half, converted emphatically by Eden Hazard, opened the way for a second-half glut as the two Chelsea goalscorers each bagged a second.
David Luiz, via the aid of a deflection off Elias Kachunga, completed the scoring on 86 minutes as Chelsea regained fourth spot from Arsenal and condemned the bottom-of-the-table Terriers to an 11th defeat from 12 in the Premier League.
Relive how all of the action unfolded in West London with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.
Chelsea were on the end of their heaviest Premier League defeat in over two decades on Wednesday as they were thumped 4-0 by Bournemouth, but the visit of bottom-of-the-table Huddersfield Town gives the Blues a perfect chance to respond positively. Or, can new Terriers boss Jan Siewert mastermind the most unlikely end to their 11-game Premier League winless run?
CHELSEA: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Luiz, Alonso; Jorginho, Kante, Barkley; Hazard, Willian, Higuaín
Subs: Caballero, Rudiger, Loftus-Cheek, Kovacic, Hudson-Odoi, Pedro, Giroud
Subs: Caballero, Rudiger, Loftus-Cheek, Kovacic, Hudson-Odoi, Pedro, Giroud
HUDDERSFIELD: Lossl; Smith, Schindler, Kongolo, Lowe; Billing, Mooy, Bacuna; Kachunga, Diakhaby, Mbenza
Subs: Hamer, Grant, Pritchard, Mounie, Zanka, Hadergjonaj, Puncheon
Subs: Hamer, Grant, Pritchard, Mounie, Zanka, Hadergjonaj, Puncheon
KICKOFF: We're underway at Stamford Bridge, where Sarri has made four changes to his Chelsea XI. Antonio Rudiger and Emerson pay the price for the defensive shambles at the Vitality as Andres Christensen and Marcos Alonso return. There are also starts for Ross Barkley, Willian and new signing Gonzalo Higuaín. Huddersfield go one better with five changes, including Aaron Mooy's first start in nearly two months.
CLOSE! An errand cutback from Willian - intended for Hazard - falls perfectly into the path of Barkley who is in acres of space at the edge of the box. The former Everton midfielder tries to place one into the bottom corner but drags his shot a little wide.
While Huddersfield have changed managers in recent weeks, little has changed about their playing style. Siewart is the latest on the production line of Borussia Dortmund-trained pressing enthusiasts, and their attempts to do so in the early stages are resulting in Chelsea giving the ball away a fair bit.
CHANCE! Lowe supports Mbenza down the left and knocks in a decent first-time cross which Mooy meets with a near-post header that flies only a yard or so over the crossbar. Encouraging signs for Huddersfield, who had three bodies in the box, that Chelsea's defensive vulnerabilities from Wednesday have carried over.
Higuain will be desperate to get on the scoresheet today, having failed to do so in his first two Chelsea appearances since joining on loan from Juventus. He hasn't had a sight of goal today as of yet but will fancy his chances against the Premier League's bottom club.
Jorginho knocks a hopeful ball over the top which Higuain turns at goal with a clever volley. Schindler comes across to block the shot at the expense of a corner which comes to nothing.
Schindler again defends well to prevent Higuain from reaching a Kante cross at the front post. A loose clearance gifts Hazard the ball 20 yards from goal and the Belgian quickly gets off a shot which Lossl holds at the second attempt.
SHOT! Silky link-up play between Higuian and Hazard tees up the latter for another shooting chance, but again Schindler is in the way for the Terriers. The Chelsea corner is driven in low towards Luiz who blazes over from the penalty spot.
GOAL! CHELSEA 1-0 HUDDERSFIELD (GONZALO HIGUAIN)
Higuain is off and running in Chelsea blue! Kante feeds a lovely disguised path into the right side of the area, and the Argentine allows the ball to roll in front of him before finishing emphatically beyond Lossl at the near post. It is a really sharp finish from Higuain - exactly the sort that Sarri brought him to the Bridge for!
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A cross from Azpilicueta somehow reaches Barkley beyond the far post, but the midfielder cannot adjust his body to meet the rising ball cleanly, skewing a difficult volley into the advertising boards behind the goal.
We are starting to see more and more of the game being played inside the Huddersfield half. Siewart has picked a team designed to hit the hosts on the counter-attack but at the moment they are unable to get out of their own half.
CLOSE! Higuain makes a good run to the near post, across Kongolo and flicks Alonso's cross into the side-netting. It is the sort of run that Chelsea have been without when Hazard has played as a false 9, and therefore immediately brings Alonso, who is enduring a disappointing spell, more of an offensive threat.
SAVE! Azpilicueta generates some decent power behind his 25-shot which Lossl pushes away. The Spaniard is yet to score in the Premier League this season, but there will be plenty of Chelsea players who fancy their chances of bagging today.
Azpilicueta generates some decent power behind his 25-shot which Lossl pushes away. The Spaniard is yet to score in the Premier League this season, but there will be plenty of Chelsea players who fancy their chances of bagging today.
Another setback for Huddersfield as Mbenza pulls up with what appears to be a calf problem. This is only the forward's sixth Premier League start of the season after a dozen substitute appearances but it looks as though it will end prematurely.
SUBSTITUTION: The visitors are indeed forced into that early change as Steve Mounie replaces Mbenza, an alteration which will push Elias Kachunga out wide. Mounie enjoyed a decent debut campaign in the Premier League but has found it much harder this season with only one goal in the league.
A wide free kick from Mooy nearly falls to Mounie, but the striker is a bit hesitant to swing his foot through a possible volley and Luiz intervenes to take the ball off his toe, taking a knock in the process.
A really good move upfield from Huddersfield is engineered by Diakhaby's burst down the right. The ball eventually reaches Billing on the edge of the box and his attempt to roll the ball into the bottom corner is blocked by Christensen, who was alert to the danger on only his third league start of the season.
CHANCE! Glorious opportunity for Chelsea to make it two as Luiz runs onto a free header but sends it wide from 12 yards out. Huddersfield will wonder how the Brazilian was in so much space. Luiz will wonder how he hasn't at least hit the target.
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The Terriers are enjoying a decent spell here and Diakhaby has been central to most of their improving attacking play. Another adventurous dribble of his leads to an Aaron Mooy shot which was arrowing into the bottom corner before Christensen - again - makes an important block. The Dane is staking his claim for a regular place.
This may not be the forgone conclusion that it was shaping up to be, with Huddersfield having had the better of the last 10 minutes, giving their defence plenty to think about. At 1-0 down the Terriers will continue to be brave but a second goal before half time could kill them off considering their scoring troubles.
Again the visitors have three or four men in the box for Lowe to aim at with his cross, which is cut out by Christensen's header. Huddersfield recycle the ball and Hazard has to make a 50-yard defensive run to help out his team - an indication of just how had the Terriers are making their hosts work for it at the moment.
Barkley's reluctance to shoot on his left foot sees a chance pass by for the Blues, who started the weekend outside of the Champions League places for the first time this season. A win today and they would grab fourth back from Arsenal, who face an enviable trip to champions Manchester City tomorrow.
Another injury concern for a Huddersfield attacking player here, with Diakhaby falling to the ground and signalling the need for treatment. There's no magic sponge in the kit bag these days but it looks as though the forward, Huddersfield's best player in this first half, will brave it through until half time.
PENALTY! Kachunga catches Azpilicueta on his way into the box and referee Paul Tierney points to the spot! Huddersfield feel that the initial foul was just outside the area and they may have a case.
GOAL! CHELSEA 2-0 HUDDERSFIELD (EDEN HAZARD, pen)
GOAL! Hazard dispatches the spot kick into the bottom corner with authority and Chelsea double their lead at an ideal time. It is a different type of penalty than we are used to seeing from the Belgian, a powerful, whipped effort rather than his more subtle approach. Either way, he is now four from four from the spot this season.
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HALF TIME: CHELSEA 2-0 HUDDERSFIELD
That second goal gives the half-time scoreline a completely different complexion. At 1-0, Huddersfield will have been happy with how they had fought their way back into the game, but at 2-0 Chelsea should cruise through to three points from here.
There will be some annoyance in the away dressing room regarding the penalty awarded by referee Paul Tierney. There wasn't a lot of contact, with Kachunga lightly leaning on Azpilcueta who had every right to go to ground while running at speed, but the initial foul was also probably outside of the box. When things aren't going your way...
Having said that, Chelsea could have been awarded a second penalty just before the half-time whistle when Hazard appeared to be hacked down from behind. A third goal really would have finished things off, although Chelsea are in full control following a goal apiece from the Belgian and Gonzalo Higuain - his first goal for the club.
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LATEST: Here are the other 3pm scores from around the Premier League:
Brighton 0-0 Watford; Burnley 0-0 Southampton; Crystal Palace 1-0; Everton 1-2 Wolves.
STAT: Huddersfield have never won a Premier League game when they have conceded the first goal. So it is not looking good for this man...
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BENCH WATCH: Jan Siewart has already been forced to turn to his bench with Mounie replacing the injured Mbenza, and Alex Pritchard is another David Wagner favourite available in reserve, although his numbers haven't been impressive this season. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is back on the Chelsea bench after injury - might he get a run out?
KICKOFF: The action is back underway at Stamford Bridge, where Huddersfield will have to score at least two to get anything out of this game. The bad news - they have only scored four second-half goals all season, fewer than any other side in the English Football League.
SHOT! Willian uses the overlapping run of Azpilicueta as a decoy to cut inside and bend one with his left foot, but it swerves away from Lossl's far post.
Alonso gets to the byline but has no control over a wild lash across the box which flies behind. Earlier in the move, Hazard was fouled two or three times by Huddersfield players and yet stayed on his feet. The Belgian came alive towards the break and is now proving very difficult to contend with.
Alonso gets to the left byline but a wild lash, which was neither a cross nor a shot, goes behind harmlessly for a goal kick. Earlier in the move, Hazard must have been fouled two or three separate times. The Belgian came to life before the break and is now proving very difficult to contain.
Billing is one of the few Huddersfield players to enhance his reputation during this difficult season, and has held his own out there today in esteemed company. There may be a few Premier League clubs who come calling when the Terriers inevitably return to the Championship in May.
SHOT! Speaking of Billing, he lines up a shot from 25-30 yards out, but doesn't catch it that cleanly and Kepa saves easily to his left.
PENALTY APPEAL! Jan Siewart feels that referee Tierney should have evened the penalty count up here. Kachunga pinches the ball off Christensen who then steps on the Huddersfield forward's foot as he goes to win it back. But Huddersfield don't get the same fortune that CHelsea did in the first half.
LATEST: Crucial goal at the bottom of the table, with Southampton having taken a 1-0 lead at Burnley through Nathan Redmond.
Huddersfield captain Tommy Smith gets a talking to after another foul on Hazard, whether that is an indivual or collective warning for the treatment of the Belgian I'm not sure. Paul Tierney is yet to produce a card so far.
Willian wastes a good Chelsea opening by knocking a cross straight into the arms of the grateful Lossl.
Hazard peels off into the left channel and completely bamboozles Schindler with a Cruyff turn. It is brilliant from the Chelsea talisman but there is nobody in the middle to finish off his good work as a cross goes begging.
GOAL! CHELSEA 3-0 HUDDERSFIELD (EDEN HAZARD)
If it wasn't game over before, it certainly is now as Chelsea have three, and it is a second for Hazard. Barkley fizzes a pass into the goalscorer's feet and he brings the ball under control with a wonderful first touch, before rounding Lossl and slotting home from a tight angle on his left foot.
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SUBSTITUTION: Karlan Grant, Huddersfield's January signing from Charlton Athletic, comes on for his Premier League debut in difficult circumstances, with Diakhaby the player sacrificed.
GOAL! CHELSEA 4-0 HUDDERSFIELD (GONZALO HIGUAIN)
The Blues were on the end of a 4-0 hammering in midweek but today they are handing one out. Hazard and Kante combine to tee up Higuain who bends a beautiful shot beyond Lossl from 22 yards. It takes a deflection off the hand of Kongolo on its way through but may have been finding the top corner regardless.
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SUBSTITUTION: Jorginho gets the luxury of a rest as Mateo Kovacic comes on for the final 20 minutes. Does this mean we might now see the best defensive midfielder in the world play in...defensive midfield?
Chelsea are hungry for more goals and again aim low for Luiz from a corner. This time the Brazilian runs over it and Kovacic runs onto the dummy, meeting the ball sweetly but striking straight at Smith and out for a corner.
Barkley wants a penalty, claiming that he was blocked off by Mounie as he chased down a cheeky nutmeg in the area. Referee Paul Tierney opts not to inflict more misery on the visitors although Mounie was very handsy with his challenge.
SUBSTITUTION: Hazard gets a standing ovation from the Chelsea fans as he is replaced by Callum Hudson-Odoi.
The hosts are knocking the ball around with real swagger now but a promising move breaks down when Barkley's pass to Hudson-Odoi is intercepted.
Diakhaby has shown good energy for Huddersfield today, and a willingness to carry the ball, but he has been too predictable never veering away from his left foot.
SUBSTITUTION: Chelsea's final change sees Loftus-Cheek replace Kante, who helped start the scoring off with the assist for Higuain's first goal.
SUBSTITUTION: The Terriers follow suit by bringing on Pritchard in place of Diakhaby who was bright in flashes but ultimately flattered to deceive.
GOAL! CHELSEA 5-0 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (DAVID LUIZ)
Chelsea have a fifth and the humiliation is complete for Huddersfield as David Luiz gets in on the act. The Brazilian is unchallenged as he meets Willian's corner and his header is on target, although diverted past Lossl via a big deflection off Kachunga. It will probably go down as Luiz's goal but he's had a big helping hand, or foot in this case.
Kepa sweeps up some mild danger in the box. He's had so little to do today the Chelsea goalkeeper.
There will be THREE minutes of added time at Stamford Bridge. The end can't come quickly enough for the Terriers.
Higuain is hunting a hat-trick but decides to look for a teammate in the box, and Schindler hacks away.
FULL TIME: CHELSEA 5-0 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN
Chelsea bounce back from their Bournemouth battering in the best possible way, handing one of their own out to Huddersfield Town at Stamford Bridge this afetrnoon. Higuain is off the mark for the Blues with a killer double and there was also two for Eden Hazard and one for David Luiz. Chelsea are back in the top four; Huddersfield will soon be back in the Championship.
That's it from our coverage from Stamford Bridge. You can read our match report on the action here, and catch up on the rest of today's Premier League scores here. Thanks for joining me for this one. Until next time, goodbye!
That's it from our coverage from Stamford Bridge. You can read our match report on the action here, and catch up on the rest of today's Premier League scores here. Thanks for joining me for this one. Until next time, goodbye!
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Written by
Joe Fish
Joe Fish
