Where Eden Hazard needs to improve ahead of the new season

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The Chelsea star enjoyed a fine campaign last term. But more will be needed from the Belgian this time around.

Eden Hazard has long been viewed as one of world football’s foremost talents.

At 23 years of age, the man Chelsea signed for £32 million after the club won the Champions League in 2012 has been touted as a future Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

And, in terms of his ability on the ball, those comparisons aren’t without their basis.

As Opta stats show, Hazard completed an astonishing 132 Premier League dribbles last season. Only Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling got within 40 of that tally, with no one else in the top flight at all registering over 100.

Despite his ability on the ball, however, the Belgian cannot be said to be too greedy, either, with his final-third passing also right on the money.

As data proves, Hazard was the Premier League’s fourth-best passer in the final third last term, successfully completing 740 passes in attack.

But where the 23-year-old needs to improve is beyond the build-up play at Stamford Bridge, where Hazard is either beating the first man or playing the ball forward to someone ahead of him. Indeed, Hazard’s greatest room for improvement lies in front of goal and in the final ball.

With 14 goals and seven assists in the Premier League last season, the Belgian clearly had a productive campaign in front of goal – he was Chelsea’s top scorer by far – but, relatively, Hazard can do better. While the forward was the top flight’s best dribbler and fourth-best passer of the ball in the final third, no less than 13 players made more assists than him. Get ready for a long list…

The problem for Hazard this season is that, while there may be better finishers in front of him to convert the chances he creates, the likes of Cesc Fabregas and others will also be seeing a lot more of the ball to be making those assists themselves.

If Hazard, then, can be as good in the assists department as he is with his dribbling, Chelsea will have a truly world class player on their hands.

The Belgian is already not far from the finished product – but those fine margins can make a huge difference at the summit of the Premier League.