Eden Hazard believes Chelsea have the Premier League title in their grasp
London: Eden Hazard believes Chelsea have the Premier League title in their grasp. Hazard scored a penalty and set up Loic Remy’s winner either side of Charlie Adam’s 65-yard strike in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Stoke which saw the Blues take a seven-point lead at the top of the standings.
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Chelsea’s Eden Hazard celebrates after scoring against Stoke. Pic/AFP
Jose Mourinho has targeted five wins and one draw in the remaining eight games and Hazard is optimistic Chelsea will win a first Premier League title in five years. Hazard told Chelsea TV: “We are confident. We are first in the league and we take game after game. We have the title in our hands. We want to bring the trophy to Stamford Bridge.”
Hazard felt Chelsea’s win could have been more convincing. “In the first half we created a lot of chances,” he added. “We played beautiful football and okay, we scored just one goal, but we deserved to score three or four. “The most important thing was the victory.”
The Belgium playmaker dazzled at times against Stoke, but the game’s highlight was Adam’s audacious lob of Thibaut Courtois from well inside his own half. Costa injured again Remy’s strike came after Diego Costa had come on as a half-time substitute before going off with a recurrence of his hamstring problem 11 minutes later.
Hazard has backed Remy, who could be given an extended run in Costa’s anticipated absence, to keep on scoring after the France striker’s second winner in successive games. “He can score every time when he’s on the pitch. This guy deserves to score a lot of goals,” Hazard said.
Chelsea felt aggrieved Hazard had not been awarded a foul before Adam drilled the ball into the home net. In hindsight, and with victory secured, Hazard joked he was happy referee Jonathan Moss had not blown his whistle as, had a foul been given, Adam’s goal would never have happened.
“I was on the floor. I didn’t see the goal,” Hazard said. “I’m happy the referee didn’t whistle because the goal was fantastic.”