Eden Hazard the game-changer with super-sub display in Chelsea’s FA Cup victory

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When it emerged that Eden Hazard would start the FA Cup semi-final on the bench at Wembley, Chelsea fans reasonably began to panic. Antonio Conte’s decision to rest his star man with a crucial Premier League clash with Southampton on the horizon on Tuesday was a brave one, but it proved to be effective.

Replaced by Willian up-front, the Brazilian scored twice, once with a free-kick from distance and then from the penalty spot, as he showed himself to be a worthy substitute. However, with the scores still level at 2-2 on the hour mark, Conte gambled and decided to replace Willian with Hazard.

The fear on Tottenham faces was clear for all to see, and clearly for Mauricio Pochettino too as he quickly acted to replace Son Heung Min with Kyle Walker, and it showed why, when he struck to give Chelsea the lead.

Waiting patiently on the edge of the box, when the loose ball came out from a corner, he took one touch to get the ball under control, before unleashing a ferocious shot through the crowd of players in the penalty area and into the far corner, leaving Hugo Lloris with no chance.

That moment proved pivotal as it set the Lilywhites onto the back foot. With Chelsea suddenly taking control with the Belgian’s confident and arrogant style of play in attack, he wasn’t afraid to get on the ball and challenge the Tottenham defence in a way which Willian and Michy Batshuayi had been reluctant to do.

No moment was more reflective of that than when he burst through with a wonderful run before rounding Hugo Lloris and looking to set someone up only for the move to fall apart, but it was the kind of skill and confidence going forward which had been missing in a less free flowing attack.

Hazard also claimed an assist as he ran rings around the Tottenham back-line before teeing up Nemanja Matic perfectly for his thunderbolt of a strike, showing just how influential he can be in 30 minutes of action.

Surely the favourite for the PFA player of the year award, Hazard proved on Saturday that he could be the difference between Chelsea and Tottenham, not only in the FA Cup this season, but also in the Premier League.

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