Sunday 20 November 2016 17:18, UK
Eden Hazard is leading Chelsea's Premier League title charge with five goals in his last five appearances. But what's behind his prolific form? We examine the statistics ahead of their Nissan Super Sunday clash with Middlesbrough.
This time last year, Eden Hazard was in the middle of the toughest period of his career. The Belgium international had been named PFA Player of the Year after inspiring Chelsea's title triumph a few months earlier, but he hadn't scored a single goal in 2015/16 and his performances had dipped dramatically.
Chelsea's title defence was in tatters, and Jose Mourinho was unimpressed by the contribution of a player he had compared to Cristiano Ronaldo that summer. The Chelsea boss wasn't alone in his frustration. "You have to question Hazard's mentality," said Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville. "I think he's a good boy but is he a killer? Is he really selfish like Messi and Ronaldo?"
Hazard eventually went 355 days without scoring a Premier League goal. Mourinho was long gone by the time he ended the drought in a 4-1 win over Bournemouth in April, but it is only this season that the 25-year-old has finally discovered the selfish streak he needed to take him to the next level.
So far, Hazard has scored seven goals in 11 Premier League games, with five of them coming in his last five appearances. It is his best scoring run since joining Chelsea. Only Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa have netted more, and Hazard is already halfway to matching his highest total for a single Premier League campaign.
Hazard has found that killer touch in front of goal, and the statistics show how he has changed his approach to focus on scoring. Hazard has already taken more shots than in the whole of last season. He is shooting once every 34 minutes on average - far more regularly than in previous years - and his shooting accuracy of 63 per cent is also at its highest.
Antonio Conte has changed the emphasis. Hazard no longer has the same creative responsibilities, and rather than seeking out a team-mate, he is encouraged to go for goal himself at every opportunity. His shooting stats have risen from 1.5 to 3.3 per 90 minutes, while his key passes have dropped from 2.7 to 2.0 per 90 minutes.
Hazard has been one of the main beneficiaries of Conte's switch to a 3-4-3 formation in October. Marcos Alonso's overlapping runs on the left flank have freed him up to move into goalscoring positions, and his defensive responsibilities have also been reduced. In fact, Hazard's average position has been even more advanced than Costa's in four of the last five games.
Hazard is unshackled, and the freedom to play higher up the pitch is helping him flourish. "In this moment, he is putting his talent and himself in the team," said Conte recently. "This is fantastic and the right way to become one of the best in the world."
But while Hazard is spending less time defending, that's not to say his work-rate has dropped. Premier League tracking data shows he is covering an average of 9.5km per game compared to 8.4km last year, and his sprints per game have risen from 48.8 to 62.5. Hazard is more dynamic with and without the ball in Conte's pressing system.
It's a satisfying transformation. "I know the great talent of Eden and he must continue to work and to improve all the time," added Conte. "It is important in this type of modern football that you have the talent and technique. You must run with intensity and the strength. Here in England, we play with an intensity that is supersonic."
Hazard seemed to lose his way last season, but he's thriving in a changed environment. His new focus on finding the net is helping him hit new heights, and his past struggles are fast becoming a distant memory. So is Hazard a killer like Messi and Ronaldo? The stats suggest he's heading in the right direction.
