Eden Hazard Is Chelsea Catalyst, but Cesc Fabregas Absence Keenly Felt
LONDON — Chelsea got back to winning ways in the Premier League with a 2-0 win against Hull City on Saturday, but the points didn't come as convincingly as the scoreline suggests.
When Eden Hazard headed home after just seven minutes, the signs looked ominous for Steve Bruce's side. Without Cesc Fabregas, though, Chelsea struggled to make the game comfortable and lacked the creativity we have seen from them this term.
Fabregas was missing through suspension. Being replaced by John Obi Mikel, we saw a return to the frustrations of last year when Jose Mourinho's side were pedestrian, playing without their usual spark.
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Indeed, the knock-on effect was that Diego Costa was even less of a threat than he has been during his mini goal drought, having little impact on the game until Tom Huddlestone's red card midway through the second half.
That gave more room for Oscar and Hazard to operate, with the latter eventually giving Costa the one chance he had craved all game—of which he made no mistake to put the game to bed on 68 minutes.
Usually, it's Fabregas getting the ball forward to Costa, but outside of Hazard's cut-back, Chelsea struggled to give the Spanish international any substantial service, and he was starved as a result.
He made all the right runs and worked hard, yet without the presence of Fabregas, he was never going to be as influential as we know he can be.
Mourinho was having none of it, however.
"We never miss the players that don't play," he said, responding to Bleacher Report's question if the absence of Fabregas was a factor in an off-colour performance.
"We miss, but we don't miss. Do you understand? We miss, but we say we don't miss. Our philosophy is not to talk about the ones that are not.
"Mikel did well, [Nemanja] Matic did well, Oscar did well. Fabregas did nothing.
"He now comes [back] fresh. Four days off and fresh to play against Derby County."
On this evidence, Fabregas' return cannot come quickly enough for Chelsea.
If the defeat to Newcastle United a week earlier had shown that Chelsea are actually human after all, this victory was the evidence they are not the same team without Fabregas—regardless of whether or not Mourinho was willing to discuss him.
With each performance, Mikel's place in this team is undermined further, and his lack of vision and composure hurt Chelsea.
Whereas Fabregas gets this team moving with his simple, yet effective approach, Mikel is the opposite, often guilty of overplaying. He wants too many touches, too much time to pick out the right pass. And when he does, he rarely executes it anyway.
Fabregas gives Chelsea energy, and it's a major factor in the intensity they have brought to games this season.
This performance against Hull was confirmation of that.
Had it not been for Hazard, this result could have been far more frustrating than just an unconvincing performance. There would have been a real danger of dropping points for the third time in as many weeks.
Not only did Hazard surprise everyone inside Stamford Bridge—including his manager—with his header, he was also the biggest threat. The Belgian wasn't at his devastating best, but showed maturity in demanding possession and seizing the initiative whenever Chelsea attacked.
"I wasn't [surprised that he scored] as I knew we were going to play against a defensive line of three plus two wing backs," Mourinho explained.
"I told my three attacking players that we need to move, to change positions and go to other areas because if you stay in a stable position against a defensive line of five, this is what they want.
"They want targets to mark, so I told them to change, to move, to find spaces between defenders. So when I saw Eden in the box, I was not surprised.
"That he scored in the air, I was surprised. He jumps a lot, but normally he closes his eyes," Mourinho joked.
The Chelsea boss went on to explain he had a "deal" with Hazard, that he wouldn't play midweek in the Champions League so he could catch some sun on holiday with his family. Hazard promised he would return fresh, and he did.
Fabregas' absence was self-inflicted after picking up five bookings this season, but it's clear he needs to return in the same condition as his team-mate.
Chelsea need his intelligence and quality, especially now Manchester City have shown the title race is far from a formality.
Mourinho's side were let off the hook here.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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