Chelsea 2-0 West Ham United
If Eden Hazard is to depart English shores this summer – as seems increasingly likely with Real Madrid long coveting his signature – then he will leave with countless Premier League 2019 highlights to his name stretching seven seasons.
Indeed, along with Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, Hazard has been the other true world-class star to grace the Premier League, which he has won twice.
If any proof were needed — and there isn’t — what occurred in the 24th minute of Chelsea’s encounter with West Ham was further confirmation of his remarkable talent.
Highlights of the game
Picking up possession a good 35 yards from goal, there seemed to be few attacking options for the 2015 PFA Player of the Year.
With that in mind, the Belgian decided to go it alone and embarked on a run which saw him get between youngster Declan Rice and West Ham skipper Mark Noble.
The Chelsea number 10 then zigzagged Fabian Balbuena and Angelo Ogbonna before producing a quite unerring finish beyond Lukasz Fabianski.
It was stupendous, it was sensational and, if SBOBET fans could study Premier League 2019 betting odds on a goal of the season contender, there would be few to rival this strike.
This player has delivered time and time again when it has mattered for both his club and on the international stage, where he inspired Belgium to a third-place finish in last summer’s World Cup.
At times at Stamford Bridge, the playmaker was on a different level to both opponents and team-mates alike as Chelsea boosted their chances of a return to next season’s Champions League.
Once that moment sparked this noisy London derby into life, it became one-way traffic in the Blues’ favour. Hazard played in Gonzalo Higuain minutes after the goal, only for the striker to see his shot crash off the post and away to safety.
With young winger Callum Hudson-Odoi making consecutive Premier League starts for the first time and looking lively, the hosts were well on top.
Hazard continued to torment the visitors and only a fine block from Aaron Creswell denied Hudson-Odoi a second goal.
The two linked up again four minutes before the break when Hazard sent him away; it took a fine fingertip save from Fabianski to keep West Ham in touch.
Javier Hernandez was bidding to become only the fifth Premier League player to score in five successive away games against the same team. But such was the home side’s dominance that the lone front man didn’t reappear for the second half – a sign that perhaps West Ham had got their tactics wrong?
The elusive second goal would not arrive and Kepa Arrizabalaga was finally called into action nine minutes after the restart. He palmed away a Manuel Lanzini effort after Marko Arnautovic and Felipe Anderson – who made his first appearance following an ankle problem – teamed up.
Anderson then tested the home goalkeeper again and Cresswell went close as West Ham – aiming to go four Premier League matches without defeat in this fixture for the first time in 19 years – woke up.
Yet it’s clear that despite the unfair criticism he is receiving, Maurizio Sarri is doing a decent job. Dissatisfaction may linger but Chelsea are six points better off at this stage of the season than they were under Antonio Conte a year ago.
Even when Ruben Loftus-Cheek was replaced, some boos were directed at Sarri, yet his replacement was to have a key part in the match-clinching second goal.
After Arnautovic had come within inches of an equaliser, it was Ross Barkley whose pinpoint pass picked out Hazard and, well…. you know the rest!
Control and finish and, possibly, another £10 million added to his price tag.
That debate can wait until another day, however.
Lets just appreciate the genius of Eden Hazard.
Key statistics
It’s now 17 years since West Ham won a league game at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are unbeaten in 13 home league meetings against the Hammers since a 3-2 loss in September 2002 (won nine, drawn four).
Chelsea have now won three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since winning their opening five matches of the campaign.
Chelsea have only lost three home Premier League London derbies over the past four seasons (won 10, drawn four).
The Blues have the division’s best home defensive record this season, conceding 10 just goals.
West Ham are winless in seven league away matches — losing six — since a 2-1 victory at Southampton in late December.
The Hammers have kept just two clean sheets on the road in 16 league fixtures.
What’s next?
This was the start of a hectic spell of four matches in 11 days for Chelsea.
The West Londoners now travel to Slavia Prague for the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final. The second leg a week later is sandwiched between a Premier League visit to Liverpool.
West Ham have no such congestion. They travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Saturday before hosting Leicester City on Easter Saturday (April 20).
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