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Eden Hazard Talks Premier League Title Race After Chelsea's Perfect Start
September 3, 2018
Chelsea forward Eden Hazard has said his side are happy to be a "bit in the shadow" of Premier League favourites Manchester City and Liverpool.
The Blues have made a perfect start to the 2018-19 campaign under new manager Maurizio Sarri, winning four games from four, and Hazard is confident Chelsea can compete again for the title despite finishing fifth last term, per Liam Twomey of ESPN FC:
"That's good [that City and Liverpool are front-runners]. For us we are a little bit in the shadow. So we just try to do our job, win games and then we see. Of course I believe [Chelsea can challenge], especially in the Premier League you never know what will happen. They can drop points we can win points. I think in a couple of weeks we are playing Liverpool [at Stamford Bridge], a massive game. Last year we won 1-0 so we need to repeat this."
Hazard, 27, has made a fine start to the new term, netting two goals and providing as many assists as Chelsea have beaten Huddersfield Town, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Bournemouth.
From the corresponding four fixtures last season Chelsea took only four points, so they have already made good headway in cutting the 30-point gap they gave up to champions City in 2017-18.
Liverpool and Watford are the only other sides that still have a perfect record in the 2018-19 Premier League season.
Following the international break Sarri's side take on Cardiff City and West Ham United before hosting the Reds on September 29.
If Chelsea still have yet to drop a point going into the Liverpool game they will have made a convincing early claim to be considered as genuine title contenders.
Having finished outside the top four last term it will be intriguing to see how seriously Chelsea take the UEFA Europa League in 2018-19—they have been drawn in a group with PAOK, BATE Borisov and Vidi.
Chelsea's absence from the UEFA Champions League could potentially give them an advantage over City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United when it comes to the fight for domestic silverware.