BRILLIANT BLUES LIGHT UP BRIDGE
Chelsea hit top spot as classy Hazard triggers rout of hapless Everton
THIS wasn’t in the script. Certainly not six weeks ago when Arsenal swept past an inept Chelsea and certain bookmakers decided not to take bets on Antonio Conte’s future.
Maybe at the start of the season a brave few reckoned the team responsible for the worst title defence in history might do considerably better this season, given they had no European football.
Still, not many had them top of the league by Bonfire Night. And fewer still imagined they would be there playing the kind of joyful, stylish football which Roman Abramovich has always craved.
Chelsea were magnificent and Everton simply couldn’t cope. Since being swatted aside by Arsenal, which prompted Conte to switch to back three, Chelsea have won five Premier League matches, scored 16 goals and conceded none.
Eden Hazard has been revitalised and looks to be in the form to challenge for Player of the Year again. Last night he was utterly superb.
Former boss Jose Mourinho might be intrigued to learn that he had a certain Victor Moses in his squad who, it turns out, is an unplayable wing back; that Nemanja Matic is once more a combative, driving force in midfield; and that the warrior spirit of Diego Costa has been revived.
Chelsea are playing with a swagger, like a team liberated from an oppressive leader. Maybe it’s a coincidence, or maybe that is what has happened.
What is also true is that, even at their best, Mourinho’s Chelsea only rarely topped the joyfulness that this team has produced of late. Stamford Bridge echoed to the chants of ‘Antonio’ last night. Breaking up is so much easier to do when you find your new Special One.
Arsenal will reclaim top spot if they beat Tottenham today. And Conte will need trophies truly to displace Mourinho. But this is as good a start as he might have imagined.
Everton had been bold; they took Chelsea on at their own game, playing a back three with a twist, with two up front in Yanick Bolasie and Romelu Lukaku. It seemed like a good idea; less so when you concede possession cheaply and allow Hazard space to thrive.
The first goal they conceded was a defensive shambles from the moment Matic robbed the ball, fed Costa who in turn swept the ball to Hazard. Both Ashley Williams and Seamus Coleman attempted to jockey and disrupt his progress; both failed.
Even so, Maarten Stekelenburg should have done better when Hazard got his shot away, the goalkeeper diving over the ball which was struck into the far corner. He will claim he was unsighted by Pedro rushing in, and that the Chelsea player started from an offside position, though he appeared to be just level when Hazard hit the ball.
Whatever, Hazard, with that impish grin, sprinted straight to the bench to celebrate with Willian, whose mother died last month. The collectivism of this squad is unrecognisable from a year ago.
And within 60 seconds they were celebrating again. Hazard was imperious, driving forwards and executing a delightful turn to leave both Gareth Barry and Williams standing and spread the ball wide to Pedro. His cross was aimed at Costa who stepped over the ball to leave it for Marcos Alonso.
It was perhaps that which confused Stekelenburg, but even so, the sight of the ball travelling through his legs was excruciating.
Chelsea were playing with panache, Moses striking a post as Everton began to look a little helpless. They switched to a back four with Bryan Oviedo sacrificed for Kevin Mirallas; much good it did them. On 42 minutes Matic flicked on a corner and Costa was on hand to sweep it home, Lukaku having completely failed to mark his man.
On this occasion Everton had more reason to feel aggrieved in that David Luiz was stood in an offside position and seemingly obstructing Stekenlenberg’s view.
It capped a superb half for Costa, even more impressive in that he had taken a brutal kick to the lower shin early on from Coleman, for which the defender wasn’t even booked. By the interval, the blood seeping through his sock was clear for all to see. He might even have added another on the stroke of half-time, racing away to strike the post. Whatever Everton tried now seemed des- tined to fail. Chelsea were in the mood to do considerable damage, none more so than Hazard.
His second and Chelsea’s fourth came on 56 minutes: a little touch to Pedro, a back-heel from the Spaniard and a sprint from Hazard across the Everton back-line, where no one dared touch him. He cut inside Williams and shot inside the near post. He was almost teasing Everton with every touch.
By now the away end was thinning out rapidly. Inevitably there would be more. Chelsea had a playful air, almost a duty to entertain. Again, the contrast with the previous regime was stark. Costa went close with an acrobatic strike on 62 minutes. But he then won the ball in the centre circle on 65 minutes, strode away from his man and released Hazard to shoot.
Stekenlenburg denied the Belgian a hat-trick but Pedro was following up to make it 5-0. It was a rout in every sense.