Chelsea assistant Gianfranco Zola has acknowledged that Gonzalo Higuain did not have the best of beginnings to his Blues career. The Argentina international was handed his debut against Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup fourth round but he was largely wasteful before being substituted towards the end of the game.
The Blues favourite added that Higuain’s goalscoring prowess can’t be ignored and the Argentine should make a difference in the Blues frontline during the forthcoming months, he further told: “Everybody knows his best qualities, the goalscoring record. He’s a player who can score in many ways, so we hope that he can bring his qualities to this team and, at this moment, it’s very much necessary. I’m sure there are big expectations. I’m also sure Gonzalo is used to it. He’s played for big clubs – Real Madrid, Juventus, Napoli. I’m sure he can handle these expectations.”
Chelsea beat Wednesday with a 2-0 score during the weekend’s FA Cup tie and this has ensured that they remain alive across all competitions after previously progressing to the League Cup final at the expense of Tottenham Hotspur. The Blues will now shift their attention to Premier League duty where they are scheduled to face Bournemouth on the road.
The west London outfit are currently fourth on the league table with 47 points, three ahead of both Arsenal and Manchester United. As such, the pressure remains on them to preserve the advantage against Eddie Howe’s team, who can spring a surprise with the likes of Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser in their ranks.