Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has called on Eden Hazard to raise the level of his performances this season.
The Blues have endured their worst start to a Premier League campaign under the Portuguese in his time at the club following their 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge, leaving them eight points behind Manchester City.
Mourinho believes that Hazard - who was voted PFA Player of the Year last season - has to take the initiative to improve his displays and get Chelsea back to their best form.
"If you are the best player in the league, I think it should be a good responsibility to have a similar season than in the previous season," Mourinho told reporters.
"I don't want to analyse individual performances. In general terms, it is difficult to have a consistent performance when some of the players are not performing at a good level.
"When you have six or seven performing and three or four who are not at an acceptable level, it is hard for a team to be consistent in the performance."
Chelsea are 13th in the Premier League after four matches this season.
Simon Sinclair
