Eden Hazard scores screamer for Chelsea (Video)

Eden Hazard opened the scoring for Chelsea against Everton with a brilliant solo goal.

Eden Hazard has been a player rejuvenated this season, and seems to have returned to the form that saw him win the 2014-15 Player of the Year. He opened the scoring for Chelsea against Everton with a brilliant solo goal.

Diego Costa played the ball to Hazard on the right. The winger cut inside and drilled a low shot past Maarten Stekelenburg. Everton rightly complained Pedro was obstructing Stekelenburg’s view from an offside position, but the goal stood.

Chelsea extended their lead a little over a minute later, as Marcos Alonso drilled a shot through Stekelenburg’s legs. The Blues have dominated at the start of the game, but the two goal explosion seems harsh on Everton, especially since the first could quite easily have been ruled out for offside.

Chelsea have slipped out of the title conversation somewhat after back-to-back losses to Liverpool and Arsenal, but the Blues know that a win will allow them to overtake Manchester City at the top of the table, and reassert themselves as serious contenders.

The uptick in Chelsea’s form has coincided with manager Antonio Conte’s decision to switch to a 3-4-3. The new formation has solidified what had looked like a shaky back line, while ensuring Hazard has the freedom he needs at the other end of the pitch.

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Everton, meanwhile, have enjoyed a solid start to the season under new manager Ronald Koeman. The Toffees look comfortable in the top eight after two consecutive season’s in which they finished in the bottom half of the table.

Romelu Lukaku remains one of the most lethal strikers in the league, while Yannick Bolasie, bought from Crystal Palace over the summer, has proved a dangerous partner up top. There are still questions about the defense, as Chelsea have shown, but Everton are clearly moving in the right direction after two disappointing seasons.