MX23RW : Wednesday, April 24 23:24:41| >> :60:3201:3201:
[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
10am
Blanch
Nadal
10am
Cachin
Ofner
10am
Elahi Galan
Bautista-Agut
10am
Gasquet
Sonego
10am
Hanfmann
Mensik
10am
Koepfer
Carballes Baena
10am
Kovacevic
Medjedovic
10am
Lajovic
Monteiro
10am
Machac
Ruusuvuori
10am
Michelsen
Fonseca
10am
Nishioka
Auger-Aliassime
10am
O'Connell
Arnaldi
10am
Purcell
Giron
10am
Ramos-Vinolas
Kotov
10am
Tabilo
Cobolli
10am
Zhizhen
Kecmanovic
10am
Azarenka
Maria
10am
Eala
Cirstea
10am
Annie Fernandez
Potapova
10am
Gauff
Rus
10am
Keys
Camelia-Begu
10am
Podoroska
Navarro
10am
Karolina Schmiedlova
Jabeur
10am
Swiatek
Wang
10am
Baez
Van Assche
10am
Coric
Zverev
10am
Martin Etcheverry
Shapovalov
10am
Humbert
Van De Zandschulp
10am
Hurkacz
Draper
10am
Marozsan
Cerundolo
10am
Paul
Klein
10am
Rublev
Bagnis
10am
Altmaier
Fils
10am
Darderi
Fritz
10am
Griekspoor
Daniel
10am
Munar
Struff
10am
Musetti
Seyboth Wild
10am
Navone
Rune
10am
Shevchenko
Alcaraz
10am
Alexandrova
Krueger
10am
Andreeva
Noskova
10am
Bejlek
Kalinskaya
10am
Boulter
Montgomery
10am
Bronzetti
Rybakina
10am
Collins
Danilovic
3pm
Cristian
Krejcikova
10am
Dolehide
Kalinina
10am
Garcia
Wang
10am
Linette
Sabalenka
10am
Pavlyuchenkova
Saville
10am
Sorribes Tormo
Svitolina
10am
Vekic
Sakkari
11.30am
Arango
Yastremska
11.30am
Osaka
Samsonova
11.30am
Ostapenko
Bouzas Maneiro
1pm
Haddad Maia
Errani
2.30pm
Lourdes Carle
Kudermetova
2.30pm
Mertens
Stephens
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal34245582265677
2Liverpool34228475344174
3Manchester CityMan City32227376324473
4Aston Villa34206871502166
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd33165125150153
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle331551369541550
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham34139125463-948
9Chelsea32138116157447
10Bournemouth34129134960-1145
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton321111105250244
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves34127154654-843
13Fulham34126165054-442
14Crystal Palace34109154456-1239
15Brentford3498175259-735
16Everton34118153648-1233
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3467214775-2825
19Burnley3458213769-3223
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3437243392-5916


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!