STAYING, FOR NOW…
After months of speculation surrounding his future at Chelsea, Eden Hazard has finally confirmed he will stay at Chelsea for the remainder of the 2018/19 season.
The Belgian playmaker has not hidden his desire to one day move to Spain in pursuit of his first Ballon d’Or, with Real Madrid his apparent desired destination.
Now that fans can rest at ease in knowing their star man is to stay beyond the January transfer window, it’s time to reflect on exactly the calibre of player they are blessed with having at Stamford Bridge.
PLAYER PROFILE
To say that Eden Hazard has been one of the Premier League’s best talents so far this season would be a fair analysis. Especially given the fact the Belgian has been one of the league’s standout stars consistently for many years.
This season, Hazard has got off to a flying start, being the league’s top goalscorer with a whopping seven goals in his eight appearances so far. He’s even managed to assist three additional goals, equalling 1.25 goal contributions per game.
Hazard has also averaged a pass success rate of 84%, creating a total of six big chances already this season.
COMPARISON
Hazard’s statistics from last season, when compared to his Chelsea compadres, are equally as impressive.
In terms of chances created per 90 metrics, Hazard tops the lot with 2.98. Meanwhile, Willian follows closely with 2.86 and Pedro sits bottom with 1.47.
Secondly, in terms of the average key passes per 90 metrics, Hazard again comes out on top. He manages 2.82 while, again, Willian follows closely with 2.52. However, this time, Alvaro Morata comes out the worst with 1.26 key passes per 90 metrics.
Next, Hazard proves he’s the most clinical of Chelsea’s forwards with the highest shot accuracy. He manages a 71% shot accuracy while surprisingly, Alvaro Morata ranks bottom. You’d think the side’s go-to striker would emerge victorious in this regard. However, this isn’t the case.
Finally, in terms of average goals scored per 90 metrics, Hazard caps off a full-house of whitewash victories over his team-mates. The Belgian averaged 0.46 goals per 90 metrics last season, while Alvaro Morata comes second with 0.45. Pedro also sits bottom with 0.25 and Willian third with 0.30.
CONCLUSION
To conclude, it doesn’t take the most-accomplished of tacticians to realise that Hazard is by far Chelsea’s most valuable asset.
He’s consistently found himself ranked amongst the league’s most talented stars season upon season. He’s even been considered as one of the front-runners to win the Ballon d’Or in the post-Cristiano and Messi era.
Even if he ends up joining Los Blancos in the summer, Chelsea will most likely get £100million+ for his services. But fans can rest at ease that their star man will remain in West London – for now at least.
