Premier League star Alex Iwobi has recalled just how good one former Chelsea player actually was after coming up against him several years ago.
It’s definitely a transitional phase at Chelsea right now as the club looks to recapture their glory days. If the Blues can secure Champions League qualification on the final day of the Premier League season, they should get there a lot quicker.
There are some exceptional talents in the current Blues squad, including Cole Palmer, but the dressing room at Stamford Bridge used to be filled with top-class individuals everywhere.
Alex Iwobi claims Eden Hazard was too good at Chelsea
Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi, 29, has delivered a glowing verdict on Chelsea great Eden Hazard.
Even though the 34-year-old Belgian winger retired from football in 2023, he made an incredible impact in the sport. Without a doubt, he was at the peak of his powers between 2012 and 2019 when Stamford Bridge was his home.
Iwobi came up against Hazard several times earlier in his career when he was a youngster at Arsenal. In particular, he remembers the Europa League final in 2019, where Hazard scored twice in his last game for Chelsea as they beat the Gunners 4-1 in Baku. Incidentally, Iwobi got the consolation goal with a stunning half-volley.
When discussing Chelsea icon Hazard, Iwobi told The Inside Scoop: “In the [Europa League] final, he was a joke. He’s too good. I can’t remember who I was on the bench with, but we were tapping each other like, ‘Are you seeing what this guy is doing?’ Why can’t anyone get him off the ball? Just foul him. You can’t even foul him; he’s bare strong. He was a joke.”
Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze named Eden Hazard his favourite ever Premier League player because of his style of play on the football pitch.
Even though Eden Hazard wasn’t the best trainer, he had the individual ability to turn it on whenever it was matchday. It certainly takes a unique talent to do what he did.
The retired attacker could be unplayable when he was in the mood, something that Chelsea supporters regularly got to enjoy during his seven-year spell in West London.
| Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Chelsea | 352 | 110 | 88 |
| Lille | 194 | 50 | 53 |
| Real Madrid | 76 | 7 | 12 |
| Belgium | 126 | 33 | 36 |
Eden Hazard’s unforgettable final Chelsea performance
On Wednesday night, Tottenham narrowly beat Manchester United to clinch silverware and Champions League qualification in a pretty dull Europa League final.
In contrast, Chelsea’s 4-1 triumph over Arsenal in the 2019 Europa League final will live long in the memory. A big reason why is the individual brilliance of Hazard during his last appearance for the Blues.
Here is a look at the statistics from his sensational display in a European final:
| Goals | Assists | Shots | Touches | Key passes | Fouled | Crosses | Passing accuracy | Match rating |
| 2 | 1 | 3 | 80 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 87% | 9.66 |
Chelsea fans were gutted when Eden Hazard retired in October 2023, especially after a quiet spell at Real Madrid towards the end of his career. However, he was a special player for the big occasion and in a league of his own at times.
