Eddie Howe would have been thanking his stars having confirmed last weekend that Chelsea stars Diego Costa and N’Golo Kante were not in contention to face his Bournemouth side this weekend but if asked in private if he felt their absence helped his course, Howe could admit it would have been better if they both played having seen his side succumb 3-0 to an Eden Hazard inspired Chelsea.
“We played a good game and we could have scored more, but i am happy with the attitude. We played without two important players,” were the words of Antonio Conte after the 3-0 win over Bournemouth on Boxing Day.
The Belgian is in the form of his life and is already in contention with the likes of Diego Costa, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexis Sanchez for the PFL Player of the Year award if he continues with his devastating form having scored nine goals in 17 league games this season. Against Bournemouth, Hazard tormented the Cherries back-line starting the move for the opener by Pedro, winning a penalty and converting it. The Belgian attempted 15 take-ons/dribbles completing 13 of them which is a record for a game this season. Also worthy of mention is the fact that Hazard became the first midfielder in the Premier League history to reach the 50 goals milestone with the least number of appearances with exception of Arsenal’s Robert Pires. The Belgian also became the latest player to score 50 goals for Chelsea joining ‘ Chelsea Cult Heroes and Iconic Mystiques’ Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Gianfranco Zola, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Eidur Gudjohnsen who are the only players to have achieved such feat for Chelsea in the Premier League era.
With his displays the former Lille midfielder made it difficult for fans to rue the absence of star striker Diego Costa as he (Hazard) played with the verve and talent of a world beater, tormenting the entire defence of Bournemount, dropping deep to receive the ball and creating the highest number of chances on the day (four in total). With his penalty, Hazard increased his goal tally to nine making him the fourth highest goalscorer this season in the league with Costa (13), Alexis Sanchez (12), Sergio Aguero (11) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (12) the only players ahead of him, which is in contrast to his last season’s form of six goals in 43 games in all competition having waited 356 days before scoring his first.
With a Man of the Match Award to go for his display, Eden Hazard has shown he can play in any attacking position and even as a striker once given the freedom by Conte to express himself with a winger (Marcos Alonso) and two central midfielders tracking back for him, to allow him to concentrate and channel all his efforts and skills to tormenting the opposition defence.
Chelsea are clearly flying high winning 12 Premier League games in a row conceding twice, scoring 28 goals since switching to a 3-4-3 formation after suffering a 3-0 defeat away to Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal in September. For now it is difficult for even the most pessimistic Chelsea fan to stop dreaming of the Premier League trophy come May considering the impressive form of Antonio Conte’s Chelsea.
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