Chelsea came up with a comprehensive win over London rivals West Ham United at the Stamford Bridge to secure their third consecutive win, taking them to the third spot in the Premier League table going ahead of Tottenham Hotspurs. Maurizio Sarri’s men opened the scoring in the 24th minute via Eden Hazard magic, the Belgian went through the West Ham defence like hot knife through butter and calmly slotting it into the bottom corner to give his side the lead.
The Hammers had enough chances to restore parity with both Aaron Cresswell and Manuel Lanzini came close to scoring but the end product was missing. Meanwhile, the Blues had opportunities to increase their lead but both Loftus-Cheek and Hudson-Odoi failed to find the back of the net. It was Eden Hazard again with the golden touch as he brought down Ross Barkley’s cross and slotted it past Fabianski in the dying minutes of the game to wrap up three points for Chelsea.
3. Sarri-ball is finally finding feet at Stamford Bridge?
It was one of those occasions in the season where Chelsea were absolutely phenomenal in all departments. It was something which the fans wanted to see for a long time and finally, the Italian manager has got his combination and tactics spot on. The Blues displayed a brand of fluid attacking football- a system for which Maurizio Sarri is known for. It seems that Chelsea are finally finding their feet after a topsy-turvy season and now a bid for the top four berth looks more certain, though they need to continue this form till the end of the season.
2. Wasteful West Ham have only themselves to blame
The Hammers needed a top performance against their city rivals to churn something out of the game, but Manuel Pellegrini’s men failed to do so especially in the final third. West Ham had a flurry of chances with Cresswell and Lanzini failing to finish their chances in front of goal. Things could have been different had the visitors been more clinical in the final third. However, West Ham will look to put this game behind them and finish their season on a high.
1. The Eden Hazard conundrum
It is becoming a norm at Stamford Bridge now-a-days as Chelsea’s Belgian wizard never fails to step up in crunch occasions. With the Blues chasing a top-four spot in the Premier League Hazard took the responsibilities on his shoulders scoring an exceptional brace to guide his side to a crucial win. With this brace Hazard has found the back of the net 16 times along with 12 assists in the Premier League.
However, the performances have grabbed a lot of headlines and the rumours surround that his future at Stamford Bridge is uncertain for next season with him being a top target for Zidane and Real Madrid. Now only time will tell whether the Belgian switches his loyalty to the Los Blancos or decides to stay at Chelsea next season. Nevertheless, Hazard had been the shining beacon for the Blues and with the season coming to its end and Sarri’s men will hope that he keeps on delivering for them.
