Eden Hazard: Hat Trick Hero
Eden Hazard has always been a player full of promise and he has always had a knack for scoring spectacular goals. He was another in the long line of goal scoring wingers who could win a match for you but never took full control of a game. Last year Hazard played in the shadow of Juan Mata and the Spaniard was often the one controlling the tempo for the Blues. This year however, Hazard has taken his game to the next level and his recent performances just how much he can control and affect a match. His performances have impressed so much that manager Jose Mourinho has declared him the “best young player in the world”.
Against Manchester City, Hazard was the key man for Chelsea as he maintained possession despite being kicked left and right and it was his distribution and vision that helped his side to victory. Today against Newcastle United, Hazard was rewarded for all of his hard work and defensive pressure with three wonderful goals. The most intriguing or exciting aspect of those goals was the team play that went in to creating them.
We have all seen his wonderful individual efforts as he darts in from the wing to unleash a laser in to the net, but the goals today came as the result of some intricate inter play with his teammates. The first from a perfect low cross from Branislav Ivanovic and the second from an exquisite one-two with Samuel Eto’o after the Cameroonian showed his flair with a lovely backheel pass. The third was a penalty which Hazard has shown he is more than comfortable finishing. His celebration where he thanked Frank Lampard for allowing him to take the penalty was a wonderful touch of class.
There are many talented wing players and forwards in the Premier League and all over Europe but what sets the greats apart is the ability to raise the collective level of play of their teammates. Whether its with their linkup play, maintaining of possession, or perfect assists, players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo improve the play of everyone on their team. They score goals by the dozens but their excellence and talent inspire their teammates to match what they bring to the field. Eden Hazard is world class and a fantastic player through and through but if he keeps improving the way he has been this year, one day he can count himself amongst the best in the world.
Full highlights of Hazard’s Man of the Match performance:
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