Chelsea bounced back from their defeat to West Ham with a dominant performance over Huddersfield on Tuesday night. Tiemoue Bakayoko, Willian, and Pedro were all on the scoresheet for the Blues. Antonio Conte’s side move level on points with Manchester United in the Premier League table, for now at least. Here’s who impressed at John Smith’s Stadium:
3. Tiemoue Bakayoko
The Frenchman has had a lot of criticism in recent weeks about his performances, but his display against Huddersfield will silence a lot of his doubters. Bakayoko returned to the form which made Conte sign him from Monaco in the summer, with a complete performance. He opened the scoring with a chipped finish over the Huddersfield goalkeeper after a strong run. Although he may not be given the goal, it should be credited to the Frenchman after his run. This performance might be the catalyst for Bakayoko to return to form and give him more confidence.
2. Eden Hazard
What a performance from the Belgian. Starting as the false nine in the absence of Alvaro Morata, Hazard filled the Spaniard’s gap superbly. His link-up play with Willian and Pedro in the front three was great, and his flick to the Brazilian lead to the opening goal. Hazard was perhaps unfortunate not to score on the night, but his performance allowed his teammates to grab goals themselves. A truly brilliant performance from the Belgian.
1. Willian
Willian continues to impress. After two goals against Qarabag and a goal against Liverpool, the Brazilian added another goal last night. He got the ball rolling for Chelsea in the first half, with an assist for Bakayoko. Usually not known for his heading ability, Willian scored a point-blank header after a brilliant cross from Marcos Alonso. He added his second assist in the second half, teeing up Pedro to add Chelsea’s third. His link-up play with Hazard was superb, and he warranted his selection in the first team.