Eden Hazard has re-emerged from a season in the wilderness

Eden Hazard has re-emerged from a season in the wilderness

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Eden Hazard was a marked man throughout the 2015-16 season.

Critics, pundits and just about everyone were seemingly infuriated at the alarming dip in form of a player who, just the previous season, had swept all before him, scooping up the PFA and PWA Player of the Year awards respectively.

Make no mistake, it was an overwhelmingly pathetic follow-up campaign to the one previous by a player with such obvious talent. An inability to dominate matches like he did in 2014-15 was not helped by the Belgium international’s seemingly nonchalant attitude towards his own form and the fortunes of the team, whose badge he should have been representing to the fullest.

Examples of this lacklustre attitude could be seen in the eventually fatal defeat to Leicester City, which resulted in Jose Mourinho’s sacking, when Hazard ostensibly carried an injury.


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His comments about his desire to join PSG on the eve of his team’s matchup against them only added fuel to the fire and saw almost every fan turn against him. From fan favorite in 2014-15, Hazard had become a villain.

Matters were only made worse when he was labeled as one of the three protagonists who undermined and eventually led to the demise of the Portuguese. With everything going wrong, this must have been a period of genuine concern. Mourinho did not seem to have a clue on how to arrest a decline in form so stark it can be compared to falling off Mount Everest and, worst of all, the Blues were hovering over the relegation zone.

There was also a school of thought emerging that maybe a player of just 25 years was succumbing to the excessive physical strain which has been placed on his body throughout his career. After all, he has played well over 400 professional games with at least 10 more too go.

More worryingly, however, there was a view that perhaps he had peaked too early in his career. His form, with the exception of last season, has been just below the top level with the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Luis Suarez occupying that bracket for a period of around six years.

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To fully appreciate the genius of the Belgian, you must take into consideration that that timeframe does not even account for the first individual award he won in his career as France’s finest young player in 2008-09. He was just 18 and would add another a year later in the 2009-10 season.

But boy has Hazard answered all the doubts about him in such refreshing and impressive style.

Hazard’s end to last season was exceptional, scoring the goal that confirmed the Premier League champion for the second consecutive season – Leicester beneficiaries this time. That was followed up by an impressive Euros individually, if not collectively.

His preseason form was scintillating, scoring four goals and looking something much closer to his old self.

His start to the season has removed anymore doubts.

The lethargic, indecisive and uncertain player witnessed throughout Chelsea’s dreadful title defence has returned to his Player the Year form. On top of their game, there are very few players if any better than the Belgian.

Hazard may not lead the Blues to the title this year with stiff competition from both Manchester clubs, but who cares? His tricks and flicks have returned.

He is creating with such imagination again, going past defenders with such effortless acceleration again and scoring with such calculated precision once again, but most importantly, he looks like a Chelsea blue again.

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