Garth Crooks believes Chelsea will still struggle to keep hold of Eden Hazard despite the Blues midfielder’s disappointing Premier League campaign.
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As Chelsea’s turbulent season stutters to a close, Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas produced the kind of sparkling form to remind the Premier League just how different things were supposed to have been.
Interim manager Guus Hiddink has insisted the 25-year-old will stay on at Stamford Bridge next season. “This was one of the best performances I had seen from Chelsea in recent weeks and, unfortunately, we were on the end of it”.
Hiddink told British media said Hazard was a “talented, high-quality player” who was suffering a frustratingly poor season because of injuries that have limited him to four goals in all competitions this year. “He will be very important next season”.
But Belgium playmaker Hazard took that sentiment several stages further, admitting Chelsea will go out of their way to deny Spurs league glory and help Leicester seal their first top-flight silverware.
Riyad Mahrez have now won the 2016 PFA player of the year award which Hazard won in 2015.
“We are very eager not to fade away this season”. “I think this season he had a hard season, falling into injuries, coming back, almost getting back then getting injured again”, he continued. When he is there fully fit physically and mentally – which is always an influence on each other – then he is one of the best.
Instead, after a shocking title defence, they have been reduced to trying to salvage some pride by wrecking rivals Tottenham’s Premier League bid next Monday as their fans demanded they do at the Vitality Stadium.
Begovic is set to start consecutive games for the first time since the last time we faced Spurs, back in the fall. “The feelings are very strong, so there’s a big chance I think”, he said.
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Match of the Day 2 Extra pundit Shola Ameobi, who spent most of his career in the Premier League with Newcastle, added: “It’s been a tough year for Hazard, so for him to come out with a comment like that is unbelievable really”.
