MX23RW : Sunday, November 24 20:43:25| >> :120:15224:15224:
[monks data]
Attendance: 40,537
Chelsea logo
Premier League | Gameweek 33
Apr 8, 2019 at 8pm UK
 
West Ham logo

2-0

Hazard (24', 90')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Eden Hazard scores brace to lift Chelsea up to third

Eden Hazard scores a goal-of-the-season contender and adds a late second as Chelsea see off West Ham United 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to move up to third place.

Eden Hazard has scored twice, including a contender for goal of the season, to earn Chelsea a 2-0 win over West Ham United that lifts them up to third in the Premier League.

The rumoured Real Madrid target opened the scoring 24 minutes in with an incredible individual strike that saw him carry the ball more than 30 yards and convert past Lukasz Fabianski.

Chelsea had the better of the chances but West Ham offered more of a threat in the second half, though it was left to Hazard to settle the contest late on with a powerful second.

Chelsea forward Eden Hazard winds up the opposition fans after opening the scoring against West Ham United on April 8, 2019© Reuters

The Blues started to make their dominance count with a little under a quarter of the match played as N'Golo Kante, finding all sorts of space high up the pitch, spun away from Angelo Ogbonna and fired over the bar.

That attempt was off target but star man Hazard lit up the match with his sublime solo goal soon after, taking the ball past Mark Noble around 35 yards from goal, knocking it between Fabian Balbuena and Ogbonna in the final third and then finishing off the move with a left-foot finish into the bottom corner of the net.

With West Ham perhaps still wondering what had just happened, Hazard turned provider as he picked out Gonzalo Higuain, who in turn found the post via a touch off Lukasz Fabianski.

Hazard then had a penalty shout turned down when barged into by Marko Arnautovic, with the referee feeling it was a simple shoulder-to-shoulder challenge, before teeing up Callum Hudson-Odoi for a blocked shot in the box.

Chelsea somehow had just a one-goal lead to show for their first-half dominance as Hudson-Odoi was denied by Fabianski after putting his foot through the ball, while Higuain's shot - which he should have taken first time - was helped behind by Ryan Fredericks right at the end of a one-sided first half that ended without the Irons managing an attempt of any sort.

Manuel Pellegrini tinkered with his side at the interval by bringing on Robert Snodgrass for the ineffective Javier Hernandez and moving Arnautovic through the middle.

The change did not initially appear to make any difference as Ruben Loftus-Cheek drifted past Noble and Declan Rice as though they were not there, but Hazard's shot did not have enough precision to round off the attack.

West Ham United try - and fail - to take the ball off Chelsea's Eden Hazard on April 8, 2019© Reuters

West Ham gave Chelsea a real scare 10 minutes into the second half, though, as Felipe Anderson played an early pass in behind for Arnautovic, who teed up Manuel Lanzini for the visitors' first on-target attempt of the night.

The match became very open as Loftus-Cheek tried and failed to scoop the ball over Fabianski, a minute before Anderson's curler was parried by Kepa Arrizabalaga, and Aaron Cresswell also came close from a bullet shot after Antonio Rudiger headed the ball into his path.

Chelsea also looked just as dangerous as they did in the first half, coming close through another Hazard shot - which Hudson-Odoi got in the way of - and substitute Olivier Giroud was also thwarted by the legs of Fabianski.

With a minute of normal time to play the home side made certain of the points, and it was Hazard who killed off the contest with his second of the night.

Ross Barkley lifted the ball into the Belgian's path and, after a touch to settle himself, Hazard blasted it past Fabianski to make it 19 goals in all competitions this season and giving Chelsea bragging rights over their London rivals.

CHELSEA (4-3-3): Kepa; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Emerson; Kante, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek (Barkley 70'); Hudson-Odoi (Pedro 85'), Hazard, Higuain (Giroud 76')

WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Fredericks, Balbuena, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Noble (Obiang 70'); Arnautovic, Lanzini, Anderson; Hernandez (Snodgrass 45')

ID:355704: cacheID:355704:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:8115:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Callum Hudson-Odoi in action for Chelsea on April 3, 2019
Read Next:
How Chelsea could line up against West Ham
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
6pm
Vikings
@
Bears
6pm
Lions
@
Colts
6pm
Patriots
@
Dolphins
6pm
Buccaneers
@
Giants
6pm
Chiefs
@
Panthers
6pm
Titans
@
Texans
6pm
Cowboys
@
Washington
9.05pm
Broncos
@
Raiders
9.25pm
49ers
@
Packers
9.25pm
Cardinals
@
Seahawks
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
10Fulham125341717018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!