Fernando Torres Finally Gives Chelsea a Return

It took nearly three months and 732 minutes in a Chelsea uniform, but Fernando Torres finally scored his first goal for the West London club on Sunday, after Liverpool on an $81 million transfer in late January.

It seemed that since he moved to Stamford Bridge, the soccer world had been enjoying the Spanish forward's struggles. For the amount of money that Chelsea had paid for his transfer, the club desperately needed him to contribute as they lingered around the coveted fourth position in the Premier League standings. Pundits have long had a problem with the way that Chelsea spends its funds, and Torres' struggles epitomized the miserable season that the club had been having. Everyone was quick to label the the 27-year-old a "bust," despite the fact that he's still recovering from knee surgery and didn't have the full opportunity to prove himself, as manager Carlo Ancelloti didn't start Torres in five of Chelsea's previous six matches.

But in the last month, Chelsea has surged to second in the standings, only six points off the lead. Torres' goal on Sunday staked the club to a 1-0 lead over West Ham, and Chelsea cruised on to a 3-0 victory.

No matter what the sport, players will hit slumps. Torres just got the timing of his wrong-- right after Chelsea shelled out all that paper to get him. This is the same player who scored 33 goals in all competitions just three years ago. He's struggling to find his form, but his presence on the pitch is one that all opponents must respect, and opens things up for Chelsea's other world-class forward, Didier Drogba.

Not to say that one goal makes him worth one of the highest transfer fees ever paid, but it's certainly a start.