One of us: Eden Hazard finally meets Chelsea FC fan’s expectations

Eden Hazard took a step towards confirming his allegiance to Chelsea FC after his stunning equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday.

I was hung-over. New Year’s Eve is one of the few days on the calendar where it is socially acceptable to drink excessively and I had taken advantage. 2015 was only a few hours old, but the only resolutions I could concoct involved pain relievers and gallons of water.

In this state, it is typically wise to stay as far away from alcohol as possible. So of course, I was at a pub.

Chelsea FC were playing Tottenham and being the terminally dedicated (insane) supporter that I am, I had dragged my dehydrated, near-corpse of a body to the usual spot I watch matches at.

Something was a bit unusual about this particular occasion, however. Instead of being surrounded exclusively by Chelsea supporters (it is a Chelsea pub, after all), I had the grim experience of watching a game where Chelsea conceded five goals to Spurs next to a table full of Tottenham fans.

My assumption was that no one wanted to spend New Year’s Eve with Tottenham supporters, as these individuals betrayed none of the ill effects of having spent a night out socializing in bars. I had, and the throbbing pain in my head was exacerbated by the raucous celebrations occurring next to me at the sight of every one of those five goals.

I did not like Tottenham before that day, and I certainly did not like them during and after that day. In addition to liking your own team, being a football supporter also includes the less wholesome pastime of disliking other teams.

It would be stating the painfully obvious to say that Chelsea supporters did not want to see Tottenham win the league this season. Sure, Spurs have a great, young manager in Mauricio Pochettino and exciting, homegrown players like Harry Kane and Dele Alli (although he should probably stop punching people), but they’re still Tottenham. Chelsea supporters (really) do not like Tottenham.

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Fan opinion on certain teams can be fairly predictable. The opinions of the actual players, though, can be a bit more ambiguous.

Modern players often change clubs several times during their careers. In a league like the Premier League, where its participants are from wildly varying parts of the world, it can be reasonable to wonder just how much a particular player cares, or is even aware of, the culture and intricacies of his club’s support.

Eden Hazard was born in Belgium, idolized Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane growing up, and began his senior career in France, playing for Lille. Nothing in that background suggests a player that would possess a vast array of knowledge concerning the fan-sentiments of a West London football club.

Incessant rumors of Hazard’s departure have also filled the trashy (and even some of the not-so-trashy) publications since seemingly the second he signed his initial contract with Chelsea. Sometimes it’s been just baseless conjecture, but other times there has appeared to be at least the hint of something substantial.

Comments about how he would one day like to play for Zidane, after the legendary player took over as Real Madrid’s boss earlier this season, seemed ill-timed. He may have been baited into his comments by a reporter eager for a catchy headline, but given his sputtering form this season, even the slightest suggestion of a dwindling dedication to Chelsea was reason for a few questioning eyebrows to be raised.

Memories of Frank Lampard kissing the badge, and Didier Drogba posing for selfies with fans alongside the Premier League trophy still hold a prominent place in the minds of most Blues supporters. These were players who were not just extremely successful, but also gave the strong impression that they cared deeply for the club.

Fairly or unfairly, Hazard’s loyalty to Chelsea seems to be perpetually in question. Statements about not wanting to see Tottenham win the league this season were seen as silly and immature by some, but to a lot of Chelsea fans it was a sign that maybe Hazard actually is ‘one of us’.

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Hazard did not start Monday’s match against Tottenham, but he played the most crucial role in determining how it finished. In the 83^rd minute, down 2-1, it looked like Chelsea were going to come up short on not just the number of insane, reckless fouls committed, but also on the scoreline.

In a move that seemed straight out of last season, Hazard made a good portion of Tottenham’s team look like they were wearing shoes covered in bubble gum on a hot, summer pavement. He brought Diego Costa into the fun for a moment, but Costa knew to give him the ball right back.

One beautiful, curling shot into the net’s top corner later, and Tottenham’s title hopes slipped and fell into the same void as Steven Gerrard’s did a couple seasons earlier.

Next: Eden Hazard hits back at Chelsea FC boo boys

He’s not Drogba or Lampard, but Hazard is the man that ended Tottenham’s push for a title, and he relished doing it. As nightmare inducing as the thought of a Spurs victory parade is, that contribution will do for now.