Hazard and Higuain share footballing language, says Sarri

Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri believes the partnership between forwards Gonzalo Higuain and Eden Hazard will be fruitful.

Published : Feb 09, 2019 10:41 IST

Gonzalo Higuain and Eden Hazard both scored twice in a 5-0 thumping of Huddersfield Town.
Gonzalo Higuain and Eden Hazard both scored twice in a 5-0 thumping of Huddersfield Town.
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Gonzalo Higuain and Eden Hazard both scored twice in a 5-0 thumping of Huddersfield Town.

Eden Hazard and Gonzalo Higuain share a footballing language that will make their partnership a success for Chelsea, says Maurizio Sarri.

Both attackers scored twice in a 5-0 thumping of Huddersfield Town last time out as the Blues bounced back from a 4-0 loss at Bournemouth in style.

Chelsea goes to Manchester City on Sunday with the Premier League champion having reclaimed top spot from Liverpool by defeating Everton on Wednesday.

READ | Hazard: Sarri and I think the same way about football

And as Chelsea bids to hold off the challenge of Arsenal and Manchester United for Champions League qualification, Sarri feels Hazard and Higuain hold the key.

"As you have seen in the last match, Eden passed the ball to Gonzalo very often," Sarri told reporters. 

"They speak the same language with the ball. So I think that Gonzalo will be important for us.

"He needs confidence, first of all. He needs a very good relationship with the coach and his team-mates. Sometimes he needs a message from the coach in the press conference. We will see in the future."

Higuain toiled on loan at AC Milan in the first half of the season, but the Argentina international previously hit 36 Serie A goals in a season for Sarri's Napoli.

The 31-year-old will spend the rest of the campaign on loan at Stamford Bridge, replacing Alvaro Morata after he moved to Atletico Madrid, and Sarri feels Higuain has plenty to prove.

"At the moment, he is really very determined. In my first season in Naples, he arrived late for the training camp," Sarri added of Higuain.

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"He missed the penalty in his last Serie A match, he had missed a penalty in the Copa America final but he reacted really very well.

"He played an exceptional season. He is able to react really well despite the difficulties. At the moment, he is really very keen. He can play a really good season, in the last part of the season."

Asked why he connects with Higuain better than with Morata, Sarri added: "Mentally, I think that we're the same. I think that Gonzalo is suitable for my football. So the feeling is really fantastic, it is a football feeling."

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