Eden Hazard faults Chelsea’s tactics against Manchester City

Eden Hazard has criticised Chelsea’s tactics in their 1-0 defeat at Manchester City on Sunday.

The 27-year-old lined-up as a false nine at the Etihad, but cut an isolated figure as Chelsea recorded no shots on target and just 29 per cent possession.


Hazard was replaced after 89 minutes to cap a frustrating day, and told Belgian outlet HLN: “When you leave the pitch you have the impression that you’ve ran, but that you haven’t played a game of football – that’s a pity.

“We could have played on for three hours and I wouldn’t touch a ball. Only at the end it went better. In the last 10-15 minutes we had more possession but we should have tried to do that all game.”

When asked whether he felt Conte would use him in that position again, Hazard replied: “I don’t know. When the manager plays me up front I try to give everything.

“But we haven’t played a good game and for me personally it’s difficult to play a good game when you only touch the ball three times.

“I think that when we had the ball we should have done better. We made some bad decisions too. There weren’t a lot of opportunities.

“We had a few situations where we could possibly create something but we didn’t. If we’d taken these opportunities, we could maybe have scored a goal.

“But we played against Man City. It’s difficult.”