Yesterday, on the eve of the 2015/2016 Premier League season, Jose Mourinho sang Eden Hazard’s praises in an insightful interview with Sport Magazine, discussing the Belgian’s incredible progress since his arrival.
Mourinho said: “If I compare the levels of ambition, professionalism, respect, believing in himself, the status he wants to be, I see a huge difference – now, he’s at the top of his game. Fantastic.
He’s 24, so a lot more to come from him. He’s getting better and better.
Hazard performed incredibly well last season, capturing numerous individual awards and leading Chelsea to their first title in five years. This season though, he will need to reach another level to replicate last season’s success.
In the likely continued absence of Diego Costa, the West London side may need to rely more heavily on their attacking midfielders for goals. The question is, does Hazard have the clinical potential to carry a side which has meandered through preseason to the Premier League title against improved opposition this year?
While Mourinho insists that Hazard deserves to be mentioned alongside Ronaldo and Messi when discussions arise about the best players in the world, the one area in which the Belgian can’t yet compete is goalscoring.
Hazard is more of a team player and as such he spends more time than the aforementioned players tracking back and getting involved in the early stages of build-up play. In an attacking sense, he usually does his best work on the edge of the box.
However, in the last few weeks, there have been some subtle indicators that the start of this season could be the tipping point for the explosive winger.
Hazard’s ever improving ability to turn with impunity and bamboozle with his tricky footwork means that he is increasingly finding himself in open space in opposition penalty areas.
At the game against Fiorentina on Wednesday, I noticed an added sense of balance and composure. He looked far more physically powerful and focussed than the last time I saw him play live. There were a few instances where he left defenders for dead, easily streaking into tiny, productive pockets of space, deep in enemy territory.
Because Hazard is likely to find himself in these situations more regularly this season, once he reaches full fitness, he could start to build an improved sense of scoring confidence as the focal point of Chelsea’s attack.
If Hazard’s rate of progress in the last two years is anything to go by, Chelsea fans can expect big things from their star player this season.
Can Hazard win Chelsea the title this season? Leave a comment below to let us know.
