Higuaín heroics leave Napoli sitting pretty

Only one player, István Nyers back in 1949/50, has scored more goals than Gonzalo Higuaín's 18 at the halfway stage of a Serie A campaign.

'El Pipita' finished one goal short of the Hungarian striker's all-time record after netting twice in Sunday's 5-1 success at Frosinone – his fourth brace in his last six league games. That win secured Napoli the title of 'Scudetto d'Inverno' (winter champions), with the Partenopei two-points ahead of Juventus and Inter, and on target for a first scudetto since the Diego Maradona-era triumphs of 1987 and 1990.

"No team has ever won the Scudetto in January," Higuaín said after the match in Frosinone. "But we are top of the league and we can hope." Wise words considering title-holding Juventus are strongly in contention. The Bianconeri sit level with Inter after a ninth straight Serie A win. "I don't know who our fiercest rival will be, we are only focusing on ourselves," the 28-year-old Argentinian international added.

Higuaín, meanwhile, is topping another table, with he and fellow UEFA Europa League contender Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the highest-ranked pair in the race for the ESM Golden Shoe, and the Argentinian is the undisputed No1 in the eye of his coach.

Gonzalo Higuaín after scoring on Sunday©AFP/Getty Images

"He is a world-class player, I don't see many forwards as good as him in world football," Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri said yesterday, the manager's 57th birthday. "He is vital to our team even when he doesn't score. Our results are often influenced by his performances, and in a positive way."

The former Real Madrid man's first goal was a demon-slaying first-half penalty. "Sarri asked me to take it," Higuaín revealed, the No9 having missed a crucial spot kick on the last day of last term, when Napoli's eventual 4-2 home defeat by Lazio cost them UEFA Champions League qualification. He also missed another penalty in the Copa América final against Chile.

All of which prompted Higuaín to begin the current campaign with renewed zeal – having lost four kilos with a change of diet. "All goals are important when you win games," he said yesterday. "We are in a good moment but we have to keep working hard and improving. We are delighted to get a convincing win in a difficult fixture. Frosinone are very strong at home, but now we can rest and prepare for Sassuolo next weekend. We must treat every game like a final."

Napoli have also impressed in the UEFA Europe League, winning all six Group D games – registering an unmatched 22 goals in the process – to earn a round of 32 tie with Villarreal.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang collecting the CAF African Player of the Year award©Getty Images

"Being top at the halfway stage means nothing – you lift trophies in May," Higuaín concluded. "We are working hard and we deserve this position but we are fully aware that we are still five months from the end of the season. There's a long way to go."