What’s the story?
Ahead of the big clash against Arsenal, Chelsea star Eden Hazard was quizzed by Sky Sports pundit Thierry Henry and the Belgian forward spoke on a variety of topics ranging from their biggest opponents in the Premier League title race and also the different training methods of his manager Antonio Conte and former Blues boss Jose Mourinho.
“In tactics and training we do more with Conte,” Hazard explained. “We work a lot of tactical positions and we know exactly what we have to do on the pitch, where I have to go and where the defenders have to go. We know exactly what to do.
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Hazard then described Mourinho’s system and how he trained under the Portuguese manager. “With Mourinho, he put in a system but we didn't work lots. We know what to do because we play football, but maybe the automatisms were a little bit different.
“With Mourinho, Nemanja Matic was behind me in the season when we won the title (2014/15) and sometimes I stayed in front and Matic did the job.
“With Conte it's different. I close more inside because Marcos Alonso is there as a wing-back. I just need to be ready to counter-attack if we get the ball.”
In case you didn’t know...
Jose Mourinho was in charge of Chelsea for a second time in his career and had led them to the Premier League title and League Cup in the 2014/15 season. However, the Blues' title defence collapsed the following season and Mourinho was sacked in December after nine losses in 16 games left the champions flirting with the relegation zone.
Guus Hiddink came on as an interim manager (for a second time) and steadied the ship that saw the Blues finish 10th. Eden Hazard had his worst season in a Chelsea shirt and did not score in the Premier League until April. Antonio Conte was soon signed after he led Italy to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals while Mourinho was hired by Manchester United.
The heart of the matter
Although it did take some time, Hazard has found his scoring boots this season and started to deliver when Conte changed the system. Following consecutive losses to Liverpool and Arsenal, Conte switched to a 3-4-3 formation that allowed Hazard a little more freedom and reduced workload thanks to the presence of Marcos Alonso playing as a wing-back on the left flank.
Chelsea soon turned around their fortunes and went on a 13-match winning run that saw them rise to the top of the table. And Hazard was a key figure who not only helped them top the table but also extend their lead.
The Belgian has already scored nine goals in the league this season and also has three assists. Conte certainly seems to have got the best out of him as he looks a completely different player to the one who was struggling in the final months of Mourinho’s tenure.
What’s next?
After 23 games, the Blues are currently in first place with a nine-point lead over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. They are followed by Liverpool and Manchester City who are 10 points behind. The Blues host Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon and will be looking to set things straight against their city rivals after having lost 3-0 at the Emirates in September.
Sportskeeda’s take
A win in the early kickoff on Saturday will give Chelsea a huge boost ahead of some relatively easy fixtures. Following the match against Arsenal, they play Burnley, Swansea and West Ham while other title contenders also have fixture crunch thanks to the Champions League and Europa League.
However, a loss against the Gunners would allow Wenger’s side to come back in the title race. Hazard holds the key and with Hector Bellerin doubtful, Hazard may well make merry against the likes of Gabriel if he is deployed at right-back.
