Chelsea forward Eden Hazard is one of the coolest players when under pressure to take penalties, whether in bg games or not.
The 27-year old’s latest came against Manchester United, and eventually won the FA Cup for the Blues at the Wembley stadium last Saturday. He drew the foul from Phil Jones and took responsibility to take the resulting kick.
Under pressure from more than 80,000 fans, Hazard stepped up and passed the ball into the net, beating one of the most in-form goalkeepers on the planet, David De Gea.
Although admitting it was a high-pressure penalty kick, as it came when the score line was locked at 0-0, Hazard also maintained he has mastered the art of taking penalties, preferring to allow the goalkeepers to commit themselves before effecting the kick in most cases.
“There is always a bit of pressure with a penalty. Especially if it is 0-0. If you have a penalty at 3-0 or 4-0 you obviously do not feel any pressure because the game is won. But at 0-0 in a final there’s always [pressure].
I have handled it well. Waited for the keeper to choose a side and kicked it the other side. I am content. You never know what can happen but for me it was mainly a way of thanking the fans. They have always supported us. We have not always played well but they were here en masse.”
Eden Hazard, Goal
Hazard will now begin preparation for the World Cup after he was named in Belgium’s final 23-man squad by Roberto Martinez. He will be joined in the plane to Russia by Thibaut Courtois as the Belgium contingent from Chelsea.
