Chelsea star Eden Hazard almost went through an entire Premier League campaign without finding the back of the net, as the club endured a difficult 2015-16 campaign.
However, he did not take long to open his account for the 2016-17 season, as he scored from the penalty spot with aplomb in the opening game against West Ham. Even though he did not score from open play, Hazard was at his imperious best with his dazzling runs that made him a nightmare for the opposition. He created numerous openings for his teammates while also try his luck from long range.
It was clear that the Belgian was back to his best and captain John Terry also claimed the same after the narrow 2-1 win over their rivals. Hazard’s penalty was cancelled out by James Collins, who managed to take advantage of West Ham’s first meaningful attack. Just when it seemed that Chelsea were heading for more troubles at home just like last season, Diego Costa come up with a late winner to get new manager Antonio Conte up and running in his first match. Terry claimed that the team were heavily reliant on the 25-year-old and struggled when he did not deliver. Now, he says that Chelsea are better equipped to deal with the potential absence of Hazard.
"He's up there with the very best in the world for me.We relied on him too much last season and he can't do it all on his own even though he almost does. He's a world-class player and we're very lucky to have him.It was very important to get off to a good start. The way we started and ended last season wasn't good enough by our own standards.We said before the game that whether we won lost or drew that was the type of fight and commitment we want from everyone,” said Terry.