HAZARD
Eden Hazard is leading Chelsea's Premier League title charge with five
goals in his last five appearances. But what's behind his prolific form? We
examine the statistics ahead of their Super Sunday clash with
Middlesbrough.
This time last year, Eden Hazard was in the middle of the
toughest period of his career. The Belgium international had been named
PFA Player of the Year after inspiring Chelsea's title triumph a few months
earlier, but he hadn't scored a single goal in 2015/16 and his performances had
dipped dramatically.
Chelsea's title defence was in tatters, and Jose Mourinho
was unimpressed by the contribution of a player he had compared to Cristiano
Ronaldo that summer. The Chelsea boss wasn't alone in his frustration.
"You have to question Hazard's mentality," said Sky Sports pundit Gary
Neville. "I think he's a good boy but is he a killer? Is he really selfish
like Messi and Ronaldo?"
Hazard eventually went 355
days without scoring a Premier League goal. Mourinho was long gone by the time
he ended the drought in a 4-1 win over Bournemouth in April, but it is only
this season that the 25-year-old has finally discovered the selfish streak he
needed to take him to the next level.
So far, Hazard has
scored seven goals in 11 Premier League games, with five of them coming in his
last five appearances. It is his best scoring run since joining Chelsea. Only
Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa have netted more, and Hazard is already halfway
to matching his highest total for a single Premier League campaign.
Hazard has found that killer touch in front of goal, and the
statistics show how he has changed his approach to focus on scoring. Hazard has
already taken more shots than in the whole of last season.
He is shooting once
every 34 minutes on average - far more regularly than in previous years
- and his shooting accuracy of 63 per cent is also at its highest.
Antonio Conte has changed the
emphasis. Hazard no longer has the same creative responsibilities, and rather
than seeking out a team-mate, he is encouraged to go for goal himself at every
opportunity.
His numbers for shots and goals have gone up 3.3 per 90
minutes, while key passes and assists have dropped top 2.0 per 90 minutes.
Hazard has been one of the main beneficiaries of Conte's
switch to a 3-4-3 formation in October. Marcos Alonso's overlapping runs on the
left flank have freed him up to move into goalscoring positions, and his
defensive responsibilities have also been reduced. In fact, Hazard's average
position has been even more advanced than Costa's in four of the last five
games.
But while Hazard is spending
less time defending, that's not to say his work-rate has dropped.
Premier League
tracking data shows he is covering an average of 9.5km per game compared to
8.4km last year, and his sprints per game have risen from 48.8 to 62.5.
Hazard is more dynamic with and without the ball in Conte's pressing system.
It's a satisfying
transformation. "I know the great talent of Eden and he must continue to
work and to improve all the time," added Conte. "It is important
in this type of modern football that you have the talent and technique. You must
run with intensity and the strength. Here in England, we play with an intensity
that is supersonic."
Hazard seemed to lose his way
last season, but he's thriving in a changed environment. His new focus on
finding the net is helping him hit new heights, and his past struggles are fast
becoming a distant memory. So is Hazard a killer like Messi and Ronaldo? The
stats suggest he's heading in the right direction.
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