Maurizio Sarri names the one thing Eden Hazard can improve to become a better striker

Maurizio Sarri put Eden Hazard up front as a striker against Manchester City last weekend, and Chelsea won the game – against the odds.

He then kept the Belgian as a “false 9” against Brighton – against expectations – and saw him pick up a goal and an assist.

It’s fair to say then that the experiment has been a success. But in classic Sarri fashion, speaking to the Evening Standard after the game he was far more concerned with how Hazard can improve rather than how well he’s done:

“I think that, for us, he could be very important in this position. Now I think he has to improve in attacking the box,” he said when asked about his star player’s progress in that position.

We love Sarri for that kind of attitude, and there’s certainly a lot for Hazard to learn in his new spot. We will have to wait and see how many more chances he gets to play there, but given he’s played there against the best teams in the world and one of the lesser sides in the English top flight, it looks like something that might continue.

Chelsea News