What's going wrong for Gonzalo Higuain at Chelsea?

After churning out a 1-0 away win against Slavia Praha in the quarter-final of the Europa League, Chelsea are favourites to advance to the semis.

But Maurizio Sarri will need to ensure that complacency does not affect the team and they finish the job convincingly. Chelsea need goals and they would be hoping that one of their strikers find form and not rely on talisman Eden Hazard so much.

Both Oliver Giroud and Gonzalo Higuain did not start against Liverpool and should be in good shape to take on Slavia Praha. While the former has responded to calls for action at times in Europe, winter signing Higuain has been a disappointment.

The Argentine has scored just three goals in the Premier League – a brace against Huddersfield and a goal against Fulham.

What’s wrong with the striker who had recorded stellar number for Napoli and Juventus? He had played under Sarri at Napoli and it was expected that this partnership would help him take the Premier League by storm.

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Clearly, his woeful run has more to do with a lack of confidence and waning of his abilities with age rather than failure to gel into Sarri’s system. The forward can’t complain about lack of supply as he plays alongside one of the best creators in the league in Hazard.

He has looked out of shape and touch for most parts of his time at the London-based club. The inevitable decline has accelerated sharply for Higuain and the fact that he shifted to a different league right when the decline began worked against him too.

The Argentine has clearly slowed down and has not shown any instants of possessing the striker’s instinct. The decline is real and sharp. If he wants a permanent contract at Chelsea next season, he needs to step up and deliver, fast!

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