Eden Hazard scored an epic double to see Chelsea though West Ham United in Premier League tie on Monday. His manager Maurizio Sarri described his brilliant Belgian as irreplaceable.
Not that Mark Noble, Declan Rice, Fabian Balbuena, Angelo Ogbonna and Ryan Fredericks appreciated his splendour. Hazard left all five in his wake to score a mesmeric solo goal which invigorated Chelsea’s hopes of Champions League qualification.
There are still hurdles to overcome before the Belgian becomes a Galactico – namely Chelsea’s £100million valuation – but Real want Hazard and, unfortunately for Chelsea and English football, Hazard wants Real, though the Belgian insisted after Monday’s game that he is still to make a final decision on his future.
His first goal of a brace was, undoubtedly, one of the best he has scored – and there’s been a few – but the way he conducted Chelsea’s play, how he kept his team-mates singing to his tune was poetry in motion. In a word: unstoppable.
Chelsea are confident there’ll be life after Hazard, underlined by Sarri’s decision to keep faith with academy products Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek on Monday night following their promising displays in the win over Brighton.
However replacing Hazard appears the impossible job. Of course, it will literally be impossible if FIFA refuse Chelsea’s appeal over their two window transfer ban this week.
