The Argentinean frontman opened his account with a ruthless finish after N’Golo Kante had slipped him in behind the Huddersfield defence, and his second was a spectacular strike from range that had the Stamford Bridge faithful gasping in admiration.
It was at the same Matthew Harding End of the ground that Mario Stanic introduced himself to Blues fans with an equally eye-catching long-range effort on the opening day of the 2000/01 campaign. West Ham United were our opponents that day, and the Croatian midfielder doubled his tally shortly afterwards with a finish from much closer in. Stanic and Higuain are now the only Blues to have scored twice on their home league debut since 1992.
MARIO STANIC’S STUNNING DEBUT GOAL
Their names top a list containing some of our greatest players of the last quarter-century, including Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, a penalty scorer on the same day Stanic made his mark, Roberto Di Matteo, whose eye-catching celebration lingers in the memory, and Diego Costa, who struck in each of his first four home league games.
Mick Harford was the first player to do so, in our first Premier League g
ame, while before Higuain Alvaro Morata was the most recent Blue to net on his Bridge league bow, on the opening day of last term.
Juan Mata, Demba Ba and Loic Remy are the other players to have managed the feat this century.
If Higuain, prolific in Spain and Italy earlier in his career, can continue displaying such accuracy in front of goal, Blues fans at the Bridge and elsewhere can expect to be regularly rising to their feet to acclaim our new number nine.