Huddersfield 0-3 Chelsea: Premier League highlights and recap

Chelsea beat Huddersfield 3-0 in the Premier League on Saturday, Aug. 11. Here are all the highlights from the match.

Maurizio Sarri began his Chelsea tenure with a 2-0 win (no, the Charity Shield doesn’t count) against Huddersfield on Saturday, but the Blues weren’t entirely convincing, particularly in a first half when the Terriers pegged them back for long stretches.

Jorginho’s arrival saw N’Golo Kante move into a slightly more advanced role, and while he adapted characteristically well, popping up at the back post to volley home the opener in the 34th minute, Chelsea struggled to play through midfield.

Part of that was down to the quality of Huddersfield’s press, a positive sign for David Wagner’s side after the more passive approach of last season, but Sarri’s side didn’t take care of the ball as well as their manager would’ve liked.

It was telling that Chelsea’s first two goals came from their only two shots on target in the first half, and that one of those was a penalty, awarded for Christopher Schindler’s foul on Marcos Alonso after a nice flick from Ross Barkley.

Still, teething problems were to be expected given the Italian manager’s arrival halfway through preseason, and Chelsea can take heart from the win, earned with their best attacking player, Eden Hazard, sitting on the bench for 75 minutes.

And indeed Hazard was excellent once he was introduced, producing several trademark dribbles, and setting up the goal that killed the game, carrying the ball up the middle before laying off to Pedro, who beat Ben Hamer with a lovely chipped finish.

Another positive was the performance of Alvaro Morata, much maligned for his form in the second half of last season, and heavily linked with a move away from Chelsea this summer. While he didn’t score, the Spaniard’s hold-up play was impressive.

Huddersfield, too, can take heart from the performance, certainly in the first half. They made Chelsea uncomfortable throughout the opening period, and new signing Terence Kongolo impressed at center-back.

The big problem last season was a lack of goals, however, and there was little here to suggest they won’t struggle in that department again. Alex Pritchard and Steven Mounie combined well at times in the first half, but produced few clear-cut chances.

Highlights

https://twitter.com/NBCSportsSoccer/status/1028305380022120450

Chelsea host Arsenal in their second match of the season, while Huddersfield travel to Manchester City.