Eden Hazard (Part 2)

In the 2010–11 season, Eden Hazard started as a regular for Lille, featuring in their initial league matches and Europa League fixtures. He scored his first goal of the season against Nice on August 29, 2010. However, his form began to fluctuate, leading to him being benched by manager Rudi Garcia to help him regain consistency.Belgium's national team manager, Georges Leekens, criticized Hazard's form, suggesting he needed to work harder physically and mentally. This sparked a debate, with Garcia defending Hazard's age and potential for improvement. Despite the criticism, Hazard persevered and reflected on the experience as a learning opportunity.


After the international break, Hazard bounced back with notable performances, including crucial goals and assists in league matches against Brest and Monaco. Lille's unbeaten streak propelled them to the top of the league table.Hazard signed a new contract with Lille until 2015, becoming the highest-paid player in Ligue 1. He celebrated by scoring a stunning long-range goal against Marseille. Hazard continued to impress, earning the UNFP Player of the Month award for March.


As the season progressed, Hazard played a key role in Lille's success, contributing goals and assists in important victories. He scored the opening goal in Lille's Coupe de France semi-final win over Nice and converted a crucial free-kick against Nancy.Hazard's stellar performances culminated in Lille clinching the Coupe de France title and the Ligue 1 championship, securing the club's first double since the 1945–46 season. Hazard was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Year, becoming the youngest recipient of the award, and earned a spot in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year for the second consecutive season.


In Lille's initial game of the 2011–12 season against Marseille in the 2011 Trophée des Champions, Hazard netted the team's second goal, which elevated Lille's lead to 2–0. Marseille later staged a comeback to secure a 5–4 victory. On 10 September, he bagged two goals in a 3–1 away triumph against Saint-Étienne. Four days later, Hazard made his UEFA Champions League debut in a 2–2 group stage draw with Russian side CSKA Moscow.


In Lille's subsequent league encounter after his Champions League premiere, he converted a penalty in a 2–2 draw with Sochaux. Three days after that, Hazard found the equalizer in a 1–1 draw against Bordeaux. Following a period of over two months without finding the net in the league, on 3 December, Hazard emerged as a substitute and netted the decisive goal in a victory over Ajaccio, executing a penalty described as an "Antonín Panenka-style chipped penalty". Two days later, Hazard was among several players nominated for UEFA's Team of the Year for the 2011 calendar year. In Lille's final match before the winter break, Hazard matched his career-high for league goals in a season by scoring the team's third goal in a 4–4 draw with Nice. After scoring, Hazard paid tribute to Molami Bokoto, a former Lille youth academy player who had passed away a day earlier. On 3 March, Hazard scored both goals in a 2–2 draw with Auxerre.


On 18 March, Hazard scored a goal and provided assists for two others in a 4–0 win over local rivals Valenciennes. In Lille's subsequent match against Evian, Hazard converted a penalty and set up a goal for Dimitri Payet in a 3–0 victory. The following week, on 1 April, Hazard scored a first-half penalty and later assisted another goal by Payet to seal a 2–1 victory over Toulouse. On 15 April, Hazard marked his 100th consecutive Ligue 1 appearance, which is presently the longest ongoing streak in the French top flight, by scoring a goal and assisting another in a 4–1 win over Ajaccio. On 29 April, in a crucial league fixture against PSG, he converted his ninth penalty of the season to equalize the match at 1–1, nullifying a goal from Javier Pastore. Hazard then contributed to Lille's winning goal by delivering a rabona-style cross into the box, which was met by striker Nolan Roux, who subsequently scored to secure a 2–1 win for Lille.


On 28 April, for the third consecutive season, Hazard was shortlisted for the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award. Two weeks later, he was bestowed with the prestigious honor ahead of competitors such as Olivier Giroud and Younès Belhanda. Following this achievement, Hazard became the second player in the awards' history, after former PSG striker Pauleta, to win the honor in consecutive seasons. He was also named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year for the third straight season. On 20 May, Hazard appeared in his final match as a Lille player against Nancy, the club against which he made his professional debut. In this match, Hazard recorded his first hat-trick in a 4–1 victory.


On 4 June 2012, Premier League outfit Chelsea officially announced the agreement with Lille for Hazard's transfer. Personal terms were swiftly settled, and Hazard underwent a successful medical examination. The reported transfer fee stood at £32 million. Upon joining, Hazard expressed his excitement, stating to the club's official website, "I'm thrilled to finally be here. It's an exceptional club, and I'm eager to kick off."


On 12 August, Hazard debuted for Chelsea in the 2012 FA Community Shield against Manchester City, resulting in a 3–2 loss at Villa Park. Seven days later, he made his league debut against Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium. In this match, Hazard set up Branislav Ivanović's opening goal and earned a penalty, converted by Frank Lampard, securing a 2–0 win for Chelsea. His home debut followed on 22 August against Reading, where he won another penalty, converted by Lampard, and assisted goals by Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanović in a 4–2 victory.Three days later, Hazard netted his first goal for Chelsea in a league encounter against Newcastle United, converting a penalty in a 2–0 triumph.


Hazard entered the Champions League fray for Chelsea in the opening group stage game against Juventus on 19 September 2012. In December, he scored in consecutive matches, first in a 5–1 away triumph over Leeds United in the Football League Cup, then in an 8–0 league victory against Aston Villa. In January 2013, Hazard struck a sublime left-footed goal from 25 yards in Chelsea's 4–0 win over Stoke City. He followed up with another impressive strike from the edge of the area in a 2–2 draw against Southampton.


However, on 23 January 2013, Hazard received a red card in the League Cup semi-final second leg versus Swansea City for kicking a ball out from underneath a ball boy. Chelsea lost the tie 2–0. He later apologized, revealing that both he and the ball boy exchanged apologies, although it was disclosed that the ball boy had intended to waste time deliberately.
On 9 February, Hazard returned from suspension to score in a 4–1 victory over Wigan Athletic. On 21 February 2013, he emerged as a substitute against Sparta Prague, scoring a crucial individual goal in stoppage time to propel Chelsea to the last 16. Again coming off the bench, Hazard scored and assisted a goal for Ramires, as Chelsea salvaged a 2–2 draw against Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals on 10 March.

References

1.  "Hazard lights the way for Belgium". The National. Abu Dhabi. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
2. ^ "Chelsea's Eden Hazard: I want to play under Zinedine Zidane". Evening Standard. London. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
3. ^ "À Braine-le-Comte, sur les traces d'Eden Hazard". Nord éclair (in French). Roubaix. 15 November 2011. Archived from the original on 22 April 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
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5. ^ "Lille's Hazard looks back and forward to Trabzonspor". UEFA. 27 September 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
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