toptop
Eden
Hazard scored twice as Chelsea bounced back from consecutive Premier League
defeats with a 3-0 victory over West Brom on Monday Night Football to move back
into the top four.
After making a shaky start, Hazard settled the nerves around Stamford Bridge
with a brilliantly-worked opener in the 25th minute, but the hosts continued to
look vulnerable at the back as West Brom missed several chances to equalise.
Victor Moses capitalised on a fortunate deflection to double Chelsea's advantage
in the 63rd minute, before Hazard scored a stunning third eight minutes later to
make sure of a crucial three points for Chelsea.
The victory sees Chelsea climb back above Tottenham into fourth after just a
third win in 11 in all competitions - easing the pressure on head coach Antonio
Conte in the process - while West Brom's problems continue as they stayed rooted
to the bottom of the Premier League, seven points from safety with 11 games
remaining.
Player ratings
Chelsea: Courtois (6), Azpilicueta (7), Rudiger (6),
Christensen (6), Moses 7), Kante (6), Fabregas (6), Zappacosta (6), Pedro (6),
Giroud (6), Hazard (8).
Subs: Cahill (N/A), Willian (N/A), Morata (6).
West Brom: Foster (6), Dawson (5), Hegazi (6), Evans (6), Gibbs
(6), Phillips (6), Barry (6), Krychowiak (6), Brunt (5), Rondon (6), Sturridge
(5).
Subs: Burke (5), Rodriguez (6).
Man of the match: Eden Hazard
West Brom suffered a huge blow to their game plan in the third minute as Daniel
Sturridge was forced off with an injury but his replacement, Jay Rodriguez,
could have won a penalty with his first touch, but no foul was adjudged to have
been committed by Cesc Fabregas.
Rodriguez remained in the thick of the action and he drilled a first-time effort
wide having latched onto a misplaced header from Moses.
Chelsea did settle into the match and went close to breaking the deadlock after
16 minutes but Davide Zappacosta saw his back-post effort well saved by Ben
Foster. The West Brom stopper then saved Olivier Giroud's tame effort from
point-blank range with his legs.
But Giroud turned provider to help Chelsea take the lead. Hazard fed the ball
into the France international, he backed into his man, cushioned the pass back
in Hazard's path, for the Chelsea forward to sweep the ball home.
Giroud then came close to a first Chelsea goal, but he could not quite get the
desired connection on an overhead kick from close range.
After the break, Chelsea again struggled to find their rhythm, and could easily
have conceded an equaliser after Andreas Christensen had been caught on the ball
by Salomon Rondon, but the West Brom hitman was denied by a smart Thibaut
Courtois stop before Jonny Evans headed wide from the resulting corner.
Those misses proved costly as Chelsea wrapped up victory in the space of eight
minutes. First, Moses fed the ball into Fabregas, who tried to flick the ball
through for substitute Alvaro Morata, Craig Dawson made the block, but
inadvertently diverted the ball back into the path of Moses, who stroked the
ball into the net.
Then, Hazard carried the ball to the edge of the box, cut inside, before rifling
a strike past Foster at his near post to cap a man-of-the-match display.
Opta stats
Chelsea have won all four Premier League meetings against West Brom under
Antonio Conte without conceding a single goal.
West Brom have not beaten Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in any of their last 17
visits in all competitions (D3 L14), since winning 1-0 in the League Cup in
November 1983 under Ron Wylie.
West Brom have won just one of their last 25 Premier League matches (D11 L13).
Eden Hazard has had a hand in 105 goals in the Premier League for Chelsea (68
goals, 37 assists) - only Didier Drogba (159) and Frank Lampard (237) have been
involved in more for the club
The pundit - Thierry Henry
"I don't know what he saw there [Hazard for Chelsea's third], but he saw it.
Even Ben Foster doesn't see the ball. Hazard uses Gibbs as a protection.
"When he picks it up, if you are Eden Hazard, and a quality player, sometimes
you finish the job. I love people that think about the team, but just finish it.
Why not?"
Man of the match - Eden Hazard
Chelsea needed their leading light to produce the goods to bring their losing
streak to an end, and the Belgium international didn't disappoint. Hazard's
goals have dug Chelsea out of many a hole before, and his continued ruthlessness
was the difference at Stamford Bridge once more. Hazard has now scored with six
of his last eight shots on target in the Premier League.
What's next?
Chelsea's next fixture sees them take on Hull in the FA Cup on Friday night,
with their next league fixture being another home clash with Manchester United
on February 25. West Brom welcome Southampton to The Hawthorns on Saturday in
the cup, before hosting Huddersfield in the Premier League on February 24.
Click Here For Official Team Sheet
Teams
Chelsea Courtois, Azpilicueta (c), Christensen (Cahill 74),
Rudiger, Zappacosta, Kante, Fabregas, Moses, Pedro (Willian 80), Hazard, Giroud
(Morata 61)
Subs Not Used Caballero, Drinkwater, Emerson, Ampadu
Booked
Goals Hazard 25, 71, Moses 63
West Bromwich Albion Foster, Dawson, Hegazy, Evans (c), Gibbs,
Phillips, Krychowiak, Barry (Yacob 80), Brunt (Burke 46), Sturridge (Rodriguez
4), Rondon
Subs Not Used Myhill, Nyom, Mcauley, McClean
Booked Evans, Gibbs
Goals
Attendance 41,071
Referee Lee Mason