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Cesc Fabregas compares Eden Hazard to Lionel Messi

ByGeoff Nichols|

Cesc Fabregas compares Eden Hazard to Lionel Messi

New Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has likened his Belgian teammate Eden Hazard to Lionel Messi, who many people consider to be the best player on the planet. The comments from Fabregas come after a moment of quality from Hazard changed the game against Arsenal on the weekend. It is high praise for the Spanish midfielder and shows the good spirits within the Chelsea camp after their electric start to the Premier League season.

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Many Chelsea fans will agree that Hazard is their most gifted player, although many have challenged him to produce his eye-catching performances on a more regular basis. In recent seasons he often has one stand out game and then will return to his normal level, not really impacting a game or two.

“He is the link between midfield and attack for us; he is our Messi because he makes the difference,” Fabregas said of Hazard in an interview with radio station Cope.

Hazard struggled at the World Cup as part of a promising young Belgian side and he will look to further stamp his authority of this season’s Premier League to prove that he belongs in the elite of world football. He has 2 goals and 2 assists in the EPL so far this season, which gives him an average of 1 key contribution every two games.

Compare this with Diego Costa with 9 goals and Fabregas himself who has 7 assists and you can see that Hazard, despite his special performances, still has room for improvement.

It looks certain that he will continue to gain the chance to shine under Mourinho, with Hazard being one of the first guaranteed names on the team sheet every week. Whilst Andre Schurrle, Willian and Oscar are rotated frequently, Hazard is often trusted with his role on the left-wing.

Hazard’s detractors have often brought attention to his lack of defensive awareness and contribution, but under Mourinho he seems to have taken on this challenge. Before in games he would be hesitant to track back, leaving the left-back exposed in two on one situations. However, he now plays a role at both ends of the pitch and has clearly worked on the defensive side of his game.

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