In 2018, Chelsea and Belgium forward Eden Hazard is displaying as fine form as possible. He finished runner-up in Golden Ball voting at the World Cup to Luka Modric. Many believe that he was robbed of the highest individual award that was at stake in the tournament held in Russia.
Four games into the Premier League season, Eden Hazard is playing with just as much dominance for club as he did for country. Despite having a later and slower adjustment back to his club team and domestic league, due to his extended World Cup holiday, the Belgian has been brilliant.
He’s helped Chelsea to four wins in each of their first four games, and individually, well, he tops one publication’s player power rankings right now. He’s also pretty good and helping to sell the new third kit.
How can opposing defenders stop the 27-year-old? You need a double team says Stoke City and former Manchester United man Darren Fletcher.
“There’s got to be a game plan, you have to double up,” Fletcher said while doing punditry work for Sky Sports (transcript Daily Express) ahead of Belgium’s rout over Scotland last night.
“You have to cover on the inside. If you leave him isolate one v one with the defender, he’s so good, he’s so sharp. His low-centre of gravity, he just leaves you for dead. We know he likes to come inside on his right foot, so Scotland should have a game plan for that.”
“With it being three centre-halves, is it going to be one of the centre-halves that come over and double up? Or is it going to be one of the midfield players? But it’s definitely, when you’re preparing to play Belgium, that’s top of the list on how you stop them.”
Having to commit two defenders to any one opposing player is of course a match-up nightmare for any manager, and in Hazard’s case you need somebody capable and present to stop him on either side. That’s because Hazard can attack via both of his feet.
“You definitely stop him coming inside on his right foot, which he likes to do,” Fletcher continued.
“If he beats you down the left and scores a wonder goal with his left foot, sometimes you have to hold your hands up and accept that a little bit. Nine times out of 10 there’s a great chance of being a goal (when he leads with his right foot).”
Eden Hazard and Chelsea are back in action a week from today when they host Cardiff City in league play.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, is currently a regular contributor to SB Nation, WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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