Hazard Hattrick Fires Chelsea To League Summit

Hazard was the hero as he produced a superb hattrick to down Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge. 

Jose Mourinho men started the game with high momentum and Mourinho insisting that Chelsea are not title contenders but, after Eden Hazard's superb hat-trick sent them top of the Premier League, that argument is looking harder and harder to sustain with any real sincerity.

The Blues built on their excellent victory at the Etihad Stadium with a dominating display at Stamford Bridge against a lacklustre Newcastle side. Here, as then, the sublime Hazard was the outstanding player on the pitch but this time his classy technique was allied to a ruthless sense of purpose. Even his penalty was dispatched with style and, on this form, it is hard to disagree with Mourinho's description of the Belgian as "the best young player in the world".

Newcastle offered little resistance and their season is in danger of petering out following the sale of Yohan Cabaye but here they, as everyone else, could only sit and watch in awe of the magical Hazard.

By Andy Craig

That ended the game as a contest but the former Lille man applied the gloss to a fine display with a penalty just after the hour mark.

Chelsea quickly began to dominate proceedings and perhaps should have taken the lead after 25 minutes when Oscar lashed a shot narrowly off target but, just two minutes later, they did make the breakthrough as Hazard curled into the bottom corner,having collected a pass from Branislav Ivanovic.

Newcastle wasted a glaring chance just after the half-hour mark, Moussa Sissoko - captain in the absence of the injured Cheikh Tiote - denied by Cech following a superb through-ball from Davide Santon.

The visitors were punished almost immediately as Hazard finished off a marvellous counterattack by surging into the box before playing a one-two with Samuel Eto'o and coolly slotting beyond Krul.

Mourinho's men continued to look fallible in defence and were grateful to Cech once more when the Czech goalkeeper scrambled to prevent Luuk de Jong from scoring on his full Newcastle debut with a close-range header.


However, the third goal finally arrived on 63 minutes, Hazard converting from the spot in confident fashion after Yanga-Mbiwa had hauled down Eto'o in the area.

The Belgian then came off to a rousing standing ovation prior to a flurry of late chances, Krul denying substiute Mohamed Salah a first goal for Chelsea before Sylvain Marveaux somehow shot wide following a Newcastle counter at the other end.