England are given a Hazard warning
Conte fears for Southgate after star striker’s brace
NEWCASTLE’S biggest error? Having the temerity to take the lead.
When Dwight Gayle tapped home in the 12th minute, Rafa Benitez was rubbing his hands at the t hought o f get t i ng o ne o ver Chelsea; a club where he isn’t remembered with much fondness.
Instead, it was the beginning of the end for his team. Chelsea were riled. Chelsea responded. Chelsea won.
‘We started slowly but we gave a good answer,’ said Bl u e s manage r Ant o n i o Conte. ‘It’s not simple to go 10 down and show the right will to win this game, so it was very important.’
Eden Hazard was the instigat or, t he Belgian producing another scintillating display to keep Chelsea on the coat tails of Manchester City in the race for the title. Newcastle tried marking him, they tried kicking him. They tried everything. In the end, they couldn’t get near him.
Hazard’s double took his season’s tally to eight, an impressive return given that he missed the opening month.
Good news for Chelsea and Conte. Not so good for Gareth Southgate. The England manager has between now and June 28 to figure out exactly how to stop the spellbinding attacker, after Belgium were drawn in the same World Cup group in Moscow on Friday.
Southgate wouldn’t go far wrong in tapping into Conte’s knowledge between now and next summer. Conte, in charge of Italy at Euro 2016, masterminded a 2-0 win over Belgium. And yesterday, Conte feared that there may only be one way for England to stop Hazard when the two nations go head-tohead next year in Russia.
‘I have to speak with Gary [Cahill] to tell him give the kicks to Eden,’ he joked. ‘Gary knows very well Hazard’s skill and for this reason he must pay great attention.’
As for Benitez, this was an altogether forgettable experience on his first return to Stamford Bridge following his i nterim spell in charge during the 2012-13 season.
Chelsea fans don’t hold Benitez in the highest esteem, the jeers that f oll owed when his name was announced over the tannoy system illustrative of their disdain.
Suffice to say their feelings didn’t improve in the 12th minute as Newcastle took a shock lead.
Gayle had the simplest tasks of slotting home into an empty net after Jacob Murphy nipped in front of the on-rushing Thibaut Courtois to leave Chelsea’s goal exposed.
The travelling Geordie support went crazy. Conte would have been just as emotional. His side were l acklustre at the start of this encounter and had been punished for their slow opening.
But as champions do, Chelsea responded.
Hazard — on his return to the starting XI — fired past Karl Darlow in the 21st minute after Florian Lejeune could only prod Cesc Fabregas’s pass into the Belgian’s path for him to equalise.
Truth be told, Chelsea should have been level before that Hazard strike. Darlow produced an excellent instinctive save to deny him in the 17th minute following Fabregas’s unerring 60-yard pass neutralised Newcastle’s defence.
Alvaro Morata then had a strong penalty shout rejected by referee Kevin Friend after Darlow recklessly careered into the back of the Spain striker before Andreas Christensen saw his header cannon off the post a minute before Hazard’s eventual leveller.
And it got worse for the Magpies in the 33rd minute as Chelsea edged ahead. Victor Moses’s bullet cross that allowed Morata to nod home from two yards was excellent. But Matt Ritchie’s attempted defensive header that allowed Moses the time and space to find Morata was equally as bad.
Following the euphoria of taking the l ead, Newcastle had been swiftly put back in their place. Normal service resumed.
Chelsea were in full control, Newcastle had little response to Hazard’s brilliance; though Ayoze Perez did fire a warning in the 60th minute with a shot from distance that flew wide.
Moses, performing well on his return to the starting XI following a two-month injury absence, guided a header straight at Darlow in the 66th minute before Hazard just failed to get on the end of Danny Drinkwater’s delicately flicked pass. And Hazard wrapped up victory with an audacious Panenka penalty in the 74th minute after Ritchie’s torrid afternoon continued when he tripped Moses after Fabregas’s defence-splitting pass ripped the Newcastle defence wide open once again.
Hazard and Morata missed further chances to put a more comprehensive complexion on the scoreline before the Belgian was substituted to a standing ovation.
Hopefully, Southgate is sitting down when he watches a video of this Hazard masterclass.
CHELSEA (3-5-1-1): Courtois 5; Azpilicueta 6.5, Christensen 7.5 (Cahill 81min), Rudiger 7; Moses 8, Fabregas 7.5 (Bakayoko 75, 5), Kante 7, Drinkwater 6.5, Alonso 7; Hazard 8.5 (Willian 78); Morata 7. Subs (not used): Caballero, Pedro, Zappacosta, Batshuayi.
NEWCASTLE (3-4-2-1): Darlow 6.5; Mbemba 7, Lejeune 6, Clark 7, Manquillo 6.5, Diame 6.5 (Shelvey 75, 5), Merino 6 (Yedlin 85), Ritchie 4; Murphy 6.5, Perez 5.5 (Hayden 61, 6); Gayle 6.5. Booked: Clark. Subs (not used): Elliot, Aarons, Joselu, Mitrovic.
Referee: K Friend (Leicestershire) 6.