Hazard lights up Stamford Bridge as Chelsea ease pressure on Conte to take fourth spot

CHELSEA

Hazard 25, Moses 63, 71

WEST BROM

3

Chelsea eased the growing pressure on manager Antonio Conte and returned to the Premier League’s top four with a convincing 3-0 win.

Two goals by Eden Hazard and another by Victor Moses ended a run of five fixtures without victory and left 20th-placed West Brom seven points from safety.

Daniel Sturridge’s arrival on loan from Liverpool was widely considered a coup for Alan Pardew’s team but the former Chelsea striker lasted just three minutes on his return to Stamford Bridge before succumbing to an apparent hamstring injury.

Jay Rodriguez came on as Sturridge’s replacement but soon wasted their finest chance. His strike partner Salomon Rondon had already headed over the crossbar when, from an aimless long ball, Moses carelessly directed a header into Rodriguez’s path, sending him clear on the edge of the areabut he stabbed harmlessly wide of the target.

Olivier Giroud, an £18 million signing from Arsenal, helped the hosts take the lead in the 25th minute. Hazard found the striker, who laid the ball off to him in front of goal, and the Belgian powerfully finished into the bottom left corner.

The hosts’ confidence and dominance of possession thereafter continued to grow, and Rondon’s wasted effort from another rare chance that came West Brom’s way highlighted the visitors’ problems. After outmuscling Andreas Christensen the striker went one-on-one with Thibaut Courtois but his low shot was saved by the goalkeeper.

It was 2-0 in the 63rd minute when Fabregas’ attempted pass to Alvaro Morata was deflected by Ahmed Hegazi into the path of Moses, gifting him a close-range finish.

Chelsea wrapped it up in the 71st minute when the superb Hazard scored his second, and the hosts’ third. He received possession from Morata on the edge of the area and curled the ball just inside the near post to spark further chants of support for Conte from the home support.

0 Eden Hazard: Double.