Eden Hazard is Chelsea’s star player, Belgium’s star player and arguably the Premier League’s best player, so it’s no surprise he gets “the treatment” from opposition teams. He’s used to getting kicked up and down the field, and we’re used to seeing it. But is it our imagination, or are things getting even more severe this season?
Maybe it’s the fact that we’re so dependent on him this year that has made it a more effective strategy for other teams to simply target him. But whatever the reason, the stats back up the impression that the beating he takes on the field is getting worse.
According to the Chelsea website’s stats roundup ahead of the game against Tottenham tonight, the Belgian has been fouled 74 times in the top flight, more than anyone else, as we expected. But when it comes to yellow cards given for fouls against him, things get really crazy. 24 players have been booked for fouls on our golden boy, an astonishing 17 more than anyone else. That really is quite something. You can bet on that number going up tonight, when he faces off with a savvy Tottenham team who are all too adept at bruising him out of the match.
Eden Hazard was the star of last year’s World Cup with 3 goals and 2 assists and has been one of the best attackers in the English Premier League so far. Chelsea are enduring a tough start to 2019, which includes two losses against Manchester City (a 6-0 defeat in the Premier League and a Carabao Cup final defeat) and a 4-0 humiliation versus Bournemouth.
Despite the tough times, The 28-year-old Belgian has kept pushing his side towards greatness. His 12 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League is a testament to the forward’s ability in spite of little support up front. Meanwhile, despite being in the contention for Copa Del Rey and UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid are currently nine points behind their arch-rivals, Barcelona in La Liga. Hazard’s contract runs out in one year, and Chelsea hope that they could persuade him to agree new terms, which would see him earn more than £300,000-a-week. However, he has refused to renew his contract so far