Eden Hazard spot-on as Chelsea's penalty taker insists Jose Mourinho
Friday 18 September 2015 14:21, UK
Jose Mourinho says Eden Hazard will remain Chelsea's penalty taker despite his midweek miss against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Hazard - last season's Football of the Year - put his spot-kick several feet over the bar on Wednesday, a miss that summed up his and Chelsea's stuttering start to the season.
However, Mourinho laughed off the miss in Friday's media conference ahead of their clash with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
"Maybe it was an agreement he did with some sponsor to promote the Rugby World Cup," he joked.
"He's the best player in this country - and the penalty taker in this country too. If he's the best, the ball is on the spot. He is my first option."
The Chelsea boss also made a barbed reference to what he sees as his team's lack of penalties, adding: "We shouldn't worry too much about it because we know he doesn't have many chances to take penalties!"
Mourinho was less forthcoming on whether he would shake Arsene Wenger's hand when Chelsea play Arsenal on Saturday - the two famously failed to do so following August's Community Shield, which Arsenal won 1-0.
"I think people will be more focused on what happens on the pitch," he said.
