Premier League 2019-20: 3 ways in which Eden Hazard's departure has benefited Chelsea 

Chelsea FC - Premier League
Chelsea FC - Premier League

Eden Hazard completed a seven-year stint with Chelsea when he departed the club for Real Madrid in June 2019, with the Spanish club paying a club-record fee to sign him.

The Belgian international had been a long-term target of the LaLiga giants and his departure was probably the worst kept secret of the window. Pretty much everybody - from teammates, fans and pundits to the media - were unanimous in their stand that Hazard would join Los Blancos.

The former Lille man had been nothing short of spectacular for Chelsea during his seven-year spell at Stamford Bridge. He was named the Club's Player of the Year on four occasions, while also being voted the PFA Player of the Year in 2015.

In total, Hazard racked up 110 goals and 79 assists from 352 games in all competitions. And upon his departure, there were many who expressed the opinion that Chelsea would struggle in his absence.

However, that has not been the case and The Blues have largely thrived. They currently occupy the 4th position in the Premier League and posted an impressive seven-match winning sequence in all competitions prior to their defeat against Manchester United in the League Cup.

Chelsea's performance despite Hazard's transfer and their inability to sign players has been impressive, to say the least. Their former number 10's departure might have been a blessing in disguise for the West Londoners.

In this piece, we take a look at three ways in which Hazard's transfer has benefited Chelsea.

#3 It has helped the club become a team and not a one-man show

Frank Lapard has molded Chelsea into a team
Frank Lapard has molded Chelsea into a team

Hazard's status as a bona fide world-class player means that he has the ability to almost single-handedly decide the outcome of games. Not surprisingly, Chelsea won lots of matches with the Belgian's output.

But that also had the knock-on effect of limiting the contribution of other players. They often took their foot off the pedal knowing that Hazard would be there to bail them out more often than not.

For context, last season, Chelsea scored 63 goals in the Premier League and Hazard was directly involved in 31 of those. He weighed in with 16 goals and 15 assists from 37 league appearances.

In other words, the Belgian captain was directly involved in about 50% of the goals scored by The Blues last season. That shows just how heavily dependent on him the club was.

With Hazard's departure, his goals and assists disappeared too. And more than a handful of pundits and fans believed that Chelsea would struggle in front of goal.

However, that has proved to not be the case. Under Frank Lampard's watch, the five-time Premier League champions have been transformed into one of the most coordinated attacking units in the land. The 25 goals they have scored in the Premier League this season are only bettered by Leicester City and unsurprisingly Manchester City.

There is a spread in attacking contributions, and players like Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Tammy Abraham, Michy Batshuayi and Christian Pulisic now have the freedom to express themselves.

In the absence of a genuine world-class forward, Lampard has had to focus on the collective strength rather than rely on Hazard's individual brilliance to lift them. And it is undeniable that Chelsea are the better for it.

#2 Youngsters have the chance to take center-stage

Chelsea's first-team is replete with talented youngsters
Chelsea's first-team is replete with talented youngsters

A look at the Chelsea team these days would show that the core of the squad is built around exciting young prospects, most of whom have progressed through the club's academy.

Youth team graduates like Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori, Kurt Zouma and Tammy Abraham have become mainstays in the club by route of impressive loans elsewhere. Others who stayed put like Callum Hudson-Odoi and Andreas Christensen are seeing more game-time too this season.

A lot of this is down to the ban imposed for a breach in transfer regulations, but Hazard's departure has also played a major role.

Players like Mount and Hudson-Odoi are direct beneficiaries of Hazard's departure, as they occupy the exact position on the field as him. They certainly would not have gotten as many minutes were the 28-year-old still at the club.

Forwards like Pulisic and Abraham have also profited from Hazard's sale. His absence has given them the opportunity to take center-stage as mainstays of the club's attack.

Chelsea have an abundance of talented young players, but the presence of more established stars within the ranks had hampered their progress. With the last generation slowly exiting the scene, the stage is looking set for the next generation to pick up the baton.

#1 They were rewarded handsomely for his sale

Real Madrid paid a club-record fee to sign Hazard
Real Madrid paid a club-record fee to sign Hazard

Over the last two years the overwhelming consensus had been that Hazard had outgrown Chelsea. While the club struggled to come to grips with the reduction in binge-spending by their owner and the rise of new superpowers like Manchester City and Liverpool, Hazard was growing from strength to strength in an individual capacity.

This difference in trajectory between the two meant that it was always a matter of time before Hazard joined the Spanish giants. And Cristiano Ronaldo's departure in the summer of 2018 seemingly paved the way for the Belgian to complete a lifelong dream.

A contract impasse between both parties saw Hazard end last season with just one year left on his contract. It was in Chelsea's best interests to sell him off rather than run the risk of losing him for free next year.

As it happened, Real Madrid's desperation to sign the Belgian led to them breaking their club record fee by paying €100m for his signature.

This figure represents the highest amount received by a Premier League side for a player. And the fact that Chelsea could potentially have lost him for free had he run down his contract made the deal a no-brainer for the club.

Hazard's mind, soul and body were set on a transfer to Real Madrid. And having given Chelsea his all for seven years, no one could begrudge him for fulfilling his dreams.

As it turned out, Chelsea got a good deal out of the transaction too. The princely sum received by the club can be reinvested into strengthening the squad once they serve out their transfer ban.

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Edited by Musab Abid