PREMIER LEAGUE
TIEMOUE BAKAYOKO found the perfect response to all the flak he’s been getting.
Bakayoko has flopped since his £40m move from Monaco last summer.
And he copped more abuse for his part in West Ham’s shock victory over the champions on Saturday.
Boss Antonio Conte insisted that his team’s Premier League title defence was over after they fell to Marko Arnautovic’s early winner.
But he must have been feeling better as Bakayoko and Willian put the visitors in control over the Terriers in a Huddersfield downpour last night.
The French midfielder kept his cool to chip in the opener midway through the first half, after Eden Hazard’s flick had played in Willian to set him up.
It was Bakayoko’s third goal for the Blues and proof they were not missing their injured top scorer, Alvaro Morata.
The Chelsea boss had spent the buildup to the game moaning about player fatigue and a packed fixture list, grumbling that he would have to leave out 10-goal Morata because of a bad back.
Conte also ditched his suit and tie for a tracksuit and baseball cap to keep out the cold, but his side’s display kept him warm inside.
They thought they had gone in front in the sixth minute as Pedro darted on to Willian’s through pass and slotted under keeper Jonas Lossl, but the flag rightly went up for offside.
Conte’s side continued to threaten after Bakayoko’s opener, with Pedro blasting over from the edge of the penalty area as Willian’s free-kick came out off teammate Marcos Alonso at the near post.
But the visitors got their second in the 43rd minute. Cesar Azpilicueta hit a long diagonal pass from inside his own half to find Marcos Alonso in space on the left, and he crossed for Willian to head in at the far post.
It almost got worse for Huddersfield before half-time, as Lowe’s wayward crossfield pass allowed Hazard time to play Pedro clear, but Lossl advanced well to block the Spain striker’s attempted chip.
But a third Chelsea goal took less than five minutes of the second half to arrive – and again it came from an Alonso leftwing cross, Willian teeing up Pedro to hammer home from 18 yards.
Huddersfield got their consolation with virtually the last action of the night, Laurent Depoitre heading in a cross from fellow sub Florent Hadergjonaj. HUDDERSFIELD (4-5-1): Lossl; Smith, Jorgensen, Schindler, Lowe (Hadergjonaj 67); Kachunga, Williams, Hogg (Whitehead 45), Mooy, Ince; Mounie (Depoitre 67). Subs: Coleman, Cranie, Van La Parra, Quaner. CHELSEA (3-4-2-1): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen (Ampadu 80), Rudiger; Moses, Kante (Drinkwater 71), Bakayoko, Alonso; Willian, Pedro; Hazard (Batshuayi 69). Subs: Caballero, Cahill, Musonda, Fabregas. Referee: Andre Marriner.