l Eden Hazard is being used as a striker by Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri Eden Hazard remains Chelsea's star man however does playing him as a striker truly get the best from him? Adam Bate was at Stamford Bridge to observe Hazard's most recent showcase in the job in the 2-1 prevail upon Newcastle and investigates the proof here… At last, it was the conclusive snapshot of the diversion. Peril dropped the shoulder and wandered aimlessly far from the Newcastle guard, drawing four rivals towards him before spreading the play out wide to one side. Willian had sufficient energy and space to cut inside and twist the ball into the most distant corner of the net, winning the counterpart for Chelsea. Don't worry about it.
But then, that did not recount the full story from a night in which Maurizio Sarri's side were by and by a long way from their familiar best. With Olivier Giroud among the substitutes and Alvaro Morata not in any case thought about deserving of a place on the seat, it was dependent upon Hazard to play as the striker. He did his bit yet it was as yet a battle to get him associated with the diversion.
The help to Willian was the main possibility that Hazard made and he didn't have a solitary shot on target either. That joined count of one is his most exceedingly bad return in any Premier League amusement at Stamford Bridge this season, including his second-half substitute appearances in the successes over Arsenal and Crystal Palace. Only occasionally has he been so tranquil.
Balance that with his first begin under Sarri, which came against Newcastle in August. Risk was man of the match that day at St James' Park, having 135 contacts of the ball and finishing 91 passes. It was a masterclass yet he was working in his progressively commonplace left-wing job. Such association is considerably more troublesome when requested to play as the striker.
This time around, his first important inclusion came in the fourteenth moment when he floated out wide to win his group a corner. Before that there had been just four contacts of the ball. At that arrange, each other Chelsea outfield player had appreciated something like twice the same number of contacts. The kid who adores the ball at his feet was being famished of it. Thus it proceeded.
Prior to Saturday, only Manchester City had denied Hazard at least 70 touches in each of his Premier League starts at Stamford Bridge this season. There were 97 against Cardiff and 88 against Bournemouth, but both times he was on the left. Here, he touched the ball only 59 times and most of those came in the second half when he went searching for it.
Isaac Hayden and Sean Longstaff did a good screening job in the first half and when the ball did make it through, the first-time flicks didn't come off. There were even a few groans. He did get a warm ovation when withdrawn late on but the supporters were as aware as Hazard that there's more chance of the magic happening when he sees more of the ball.
"On the wing I feel more comfortable, that's my place," said Hazard himself in February when he was enduring life under Antonio Conte. But he was more open-minded when discussing it last month. "It is good not just to be a target man, but also as a false nine where I can move, I can drop, I can go deep, I can go on the wing," he explained.
Sarri knows that Hazard will never be a fixed reference point up front. He admitted as much in the press room after the game. "It is impossible for Eden to stay in the box," he said with a smile. "He goes to the direction of the ball. We need to learn to attack spaces. It was better today from the wingers. We scored after 10 minutes by attacking the space."
For Sarri, that is part of the explanation for his decision. Pedro's movement in behind for his goal was the sort of speculative run from out to in that he has made a career out of. The ball does not always reach him but on this occasion it did - and, with Hazard having drifted to the other flank, it vacated the space that allowed the Spaniard to run through to score.
Chelsea have options out wide. Sarri was careful to mention Callum Hudson-Odoi alongside Pedro and Willian when discussing the need to keep his wingers at the club. That is one of the things encouraging him to deploy Hazard elsewhere but it was also interesting that he referenced the improved defensive structure when the Belgian is used centrally.
"It's a case of being more balanced," he pointed out when discussing Hazard's current role in the team. "In the last six matches, we have conceded only three goals and one was a penalty. So I think at the moment in the defensive phase we are doing very well and one of the reasons, in my opinion, is that Eden is playing in that position."
Again, this is a familiar trope for Chelsea. Jose Mourinho became increasingly frustrated with the way that Hazard's unwillingness to track back defensively left the team exposed. Sarri has a reputation for being a much more attack-minded coach but even he appears conscious that his defence has more protection when Hazard is relieved of those duties.
"I think he needs to be let free on the pitch," he said recently, and in some ways it's worked. Hazard is now into double figures for goals and assists in the Premier League this season, only the second player after Lionel Messi in Europe's major leagues to achieve that feat. He has been directly involved in 20 goals, only three shy of his best ever season for Chelsea.
Maybe Sarri's much discussed transformation of Dries Mertens at Napoli can be repeated, after all. But don't count on it. "Dries is more of a striker than me," Hazard has said. "I am more like a playmaker. I like to come and touch the ball. Dries is not like this, he just wants to stay in the box. That's why he scores a lot of goals. We are different."
Hazard turned 28 this week so he is unlikely to change that attitude now - and why should he? It has got him this far and while Chelsea may have deficiencies in attack, it is a pity that their greatest entertainer is currently being asked to compromise his own game in order to help mask them. It is a solution of sorts for Sarri. But it is surely only a temporary one.
Comments
Post a Comment