https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2019/2/27/
eden-hazard-on-playing-for-the-manager-and-our-derby-against-tot
Eden Hazard on playing for the manager and our derby against Tottenham
27 Feb 2019
Eden Hazard says the team are fully behind Maurizio Sarri, and working
hard together, ahead of a big Premier League game against Tottenham
tonight.
https://i.imgur.com/LfAnRV8.jpg
The Blues will be aiming to get the better of the north Londoners at
Stamford Bridge for the second time this season after winning 2-1 in the
second leg of our Carabao Cup semi-final, a game in which Hazard scored,
as well as reducing the gap between the teams in the Premier League table,
when we meet under the lights in SW6 this evening.
Sarri's side performed well in Sunday's Carabao Cup final against
Manchester City, but having eventually suffered disappointment after
losing on penalties we will be looking to bounce back quickly tonight.
'We are all together,' said Hazard. 'We are all with the manager. I know
this month was a bit hard but we need to be together, stay together, if we
want to do something at the end of the season.
'At the moment we have a bit of pressure because the fans want us to be in
the top four, but we're Chelsea and we can deal with the pressure. We will
win games and that's it.
'We are there. This is a hard game but we can close the gap a bit on
Tottenham. We have the potential to be in the top four but we don't have
to think about that. We just have to think game after game and try to win
one more game.
'We are playing for him [Sarri], the club, the fans and us. It's not just
about the manager. He puts the players on the pitch and then it's down to
the players to take responsibility. On Sunday we played a fantastic game,
we need to look at that and try to repeat it. Then the manager will be
happy.'
We have already met Tottenham, who were beaten in the Premier League at
the weekend, on three separate occasions this season, and having been a
Chelsea player since 2012, the Belgian is well aware what this particular
fixture means to our supporters.
'It's a derby, a good game, the fans are waiting for this game,' Hazard
said. 'They lost their last game at Burnley, we lost the final, so now we
just want to win. I expect a tough game because it's always hard to play
against them. We lost last season at Stamford Bridge after 28 years, so I
expect a tough game but with good energy, and let's hope for a Chelsea
win.
'If we can play like we want, like the manager wants, and get a good
result, it will be good for the rest of the season.'
https://i.imgur.com/aMgjn9H.jpg
Hazard was deployed as the central striker in Sunday's game against Man
City, with positive results, but he will have no problem returning to his
natural position out wide this evening if Sarri chooses to use either
Gonzalo Higuain or Olivier Giroud as the focal point of our attack.
'He is a top striker,' said Hazard, when asked about Higuain's qualities.
'If we talk about how many goals he's scored, he's only got two with
Chelsea, but you can see around the training ground he's very intelligent.
He's not talking English a lot but he's talking to the Spanish guys and
Italian guys, and he also knows how the manager wants to play, so for us
it's great to have him in the team.
'I always say I need a great striker. When Olivier is playing it's
important for me, when Gonzalo is playing it's important for me. What I
want is for them to score goals, that's it.
'We have a lot of intensity and when we have the ball we try to be in
control of the game. I know the fans want us to go forward and try to find
space between the lines but we try.
'Sometimes we play against compact teams so it's hard to find solutions. I
like the football we are trying to play, with and without the ball, so it
can still be a good season.'