HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 0, CHELSEA 3
Towards the end of their defeat by Chelsea, a section of travelling fans uncharitably claimed that Huddersfield Town were going down. They probably weren’t minded to sing that in the first half hour when their team looked disjointed and were second to the ball as the Terriers made a better fist of the pressing game that Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri was so keen on.
Sadly, however, last season’s goalscoring failings were returning to haunt the Terriers again and Chelsea’s superior top flight experience and talented squad managed to weather the early Town storm to score three times and earn a win in Sarri’s first game.
A mis-hit N’Golo Kante shot, a Jorginho penalty, and classy strike by Pedro did for Town who could and should have taken the lead earlier in the game although both Steve Mounie and Marcos Alonso hit the woodwork.
Ben Hamer, a free transfer from Leicester City, displaced last season’s first choice goalkeeper Jonas Lossl after impressing in pre-season for the Terriers. Town boss David Wagner left two new signings – Ramadan Sobhi and Adama Diakhaby on the bench while Isaac Mbenza joined Erik Durm and Danny Williams on the sidelines with injury.
Maurizio Sarri was stalking the touchline to the delight of many photographers well before kick off, watching his Chelsea side warm up – he was to cut an animated figure on the side lines during the game too
Both sides were quite content to press each other but were showing a significant difference in formation, with Sarri continuing with 4 at the back from the Community Shield while David Wagner opted for the 5-4-1 formation.
Both sides were fielding new goalkeepers since their last meeting but it was Kepa Arrizabalaga who was called into action more in the opening quarter of the game.
The Chelsea man’s first clearance was sliced as the Terriers executed their own high press on their visitors who in turn played high up the pitch trying to find space in the Terriers’ defence.
Chris Lowe’s cross found Alex Pritchard after 20 minutes and the Town playmaker finally tested Kepa when Town counter attacked after intercepting a Chelsea buildup.
Losing the ball was clearly not acceptable to Sarri who bellowed repeatedly at Alvaro Morata to close down Chris Schindler after he intercepted a loose pass meant for him.
It’s not like there weren’t examples of better quality pressing around him – the Terriers fought for every loose ball and half chance and they were exciting the home crowd with every interception and recapture of the ball.
Unfortunately for Town their intensity dropped for a minute and Chelsea pounced with a run down the left flank by Willian before his low cutback reached an unmarked N’Golo Kante whose attempted volley went into the ground and ballooned up past Hamer in the Town goal.
Town hit the woodwork minutes later as Steve Mounie’s header had Kepa beaten after Zanka had flicked on Mooy’s corner.
Huddersfield Town punished for failing to take their chances against Chelsea
The miss was to prove pivotal as Marcos Alonso won a penalty after a desperate lunge by Christopher Schindler after Chelsea moved the ball quickly and Jorginho wrong-footed Hamer to slot home Chelsea’s second of the game just before the break.
Wagner brought on Laurent Depoitre for Alex Pritchard for the start of the second half – a sure sign they were going to hit the ball long but Chelsea had upped a gear at half time.
Hamer pushed a Rudiger header around the post from Willian’s corner in the 57th minute while Marcos Alonso’s shot came off the bar from the following corner as Chelsea soon re-asserted their dominance in the second half.
Town started giving away fouls, Kongolo felled Morata to give away a shooting chance from 30 yards which Alonso cannoned over the bar after 64 minutes.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek replaced Ross Barkley after 68 minutes and Wagner handed a Town debut to Adama Diakhaby as he replaced Lowe.
Aaron Mooy’s free kick was headed behind by Jorginho but the corner was not given as Philip Billing went up to challenge for the ball with him.
The referee had already drawn the ire of the home crowd for awarding the penalty but failing to award what seemed to the crowd like a clear corner prompted some fans to ask the referee if he knew what he was doing.
Town kept plugging away though and saw two half chances for Depoitre go begging before Eden Hazard entered the fray for Willian for the last 14 minutes.
Pedro scored the mortal blow for Town’s hopes with 10 minutes to go, after Hazard raced through the tired Terriers defence before slipping the ball to Pedro on the right flank who drilled his shot past Hamer.
Chelsea eventually hit their stride under Sarri, then, but not without some early difficulty. There will be tougher opponents ahead for the Londoners though.
MATCH STATS – Huddersfield Town 0, Chelsea 3
Huddersfield Town: Hamer, Hadergjonaj, Zanka, Schindler, Kongolo, Lowe (Diakhaby 71), Hogg, Mooy, Billing, Pritchard (Depoitre 46), Mounie
Huddersfield Town Subs not used: Lossl, Smith, Sobhi, van La Parra, Stankovic
Booked: Schindler 44
Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso, Kante, Jorginho, Willian (Hazard 76), Barkley (Loftus-Cheek 68), Pedro (Moses 81), Morata
Chelsea Subs not used: Caballero, Moses, Giroud, Zappacosta, Christensen
Booked: Luiz 69
Goals: Kante 34, Jorginho pen 45, Pedro 80