Gianfranco Zola has hailed Eden Hazard following the Belgian’s match-winning performance against Liverpool in the League Cup.
The Reds took the lead via Daniel Sturridge but Hazard, who came on shortly before the Liverpool opener, turned in the style for the Blues. The Belgian ace delivered the freekick that led to Emerson’s Palmieri leveller before capping off a come-from-behind victory with a stunning solo goal. Receiving the ball from the right-hand side, Hazard bamboozled past four defenders with his trademark slalom run before firing an unstoppable rocket into the roof of the net.
Chelsea No2 Zola has scored some memorable strikes during his playing days at Stamford Bridge and when asked how great Hazard’s stunner was, the 52-year-old said that it was as ultimately important as it was aesthetically superb: “I think it was a fantastic goal, especially not only for the beauty of it but for the moment he scored and he was all on his own, I guess – four defenders – and it was an unbelievable goal.”
Quizzed on what level Hazard is at the moment, the former Blues favourite went on to say that while the Belgian is already one of the world’s elite, he can still improve and reach greater heights with his limitless potential. “He [Hazard] is not only one of the best in the Premier League, if not the best, but he’s one of the best in Europe and the world.
“Eden’s growing fast, he’s growing fast in maturity, in choices he’s making on the pitch and I think, in my opinion, we haven’t seen the best yet.”
“I believe so because he has an unbelievable potential inside him and he’s getting to the point when he’s using it at the right moment and that’s something remarkable.”
Zola and the rest of west London hope that Hazard carries on his sensational form into the weekend when they meet Liverpool again at Stamford Bridge but in a Premier League fixture.
