Eden Hazard Shines as Chelsea Defeat West Ham 2-0 in Premier League

Eden Hazard fired Chelsea to third in the Premier League on Monday as he grabbed both goals in a 2-0 win over West Ham United at Stamford Bridge.  

Hazard scored a sensational solo goal to give Chelsea the lead in the 24th minute. After picking up the ball 35 yards out from Ruben Loftus-Cheek, the Belgian drove toward goal and wriggled past three players before tucking home past Lukasz Fabianski. 

Gonzalo Higuain rattled the post from a tight angle shortly after, and West Ham were fortunate not to concede a penalty when Marko Arnautovic bowled over Hazard with a shoulder challenge.

Kepa Arrizabalaga was on hand to keep out Manuel Lanzini, who had the Irons' best chance as they improved in the second half.

However, Hazard sealed the Blues' third consecutive league win in the 90th minute when he controlled Ross Barkley's pass and lashed a low effort past Fabianski.

Real Shouldn't Blink at £100m Hazard Price Tag

According to MailOnline's Sami Mokbel and Jonathan Spencer, Real Madrid are eager to sign Hazard this summer but aren't prepared to meet Chelsea's £100 million asking price.

While it's understandable they might be reluctant to do so given he'll have just one year remaining on his contract at the end of the season, his goal and performance against West Ham was a reminder he's worth every penny.

The winger had been relatively quiet in the opening period of the match, but he exploded to life in his stunning run, setting Twitter alight in the process:

Bleacher Report's Dean Jones and the Sunday World's Kevin Palmer were quick to note Real's interest in him following the goal:

Los Blancos have not yet replaced Cristiano Ronaldo at the Santiago Bernabeu following his departure last summer.

While Hazard might not be able to replace the Portuguese superstar's incredible numbers, his are nevertheless impressive:

He continued to cause the Hammers problems for the remainder of the match as they struggled to contain his pace and trickery, he took his second goal ruthlessly and he should have been awarded a penalty, too.

Aside from 18-year-old Vinicius Jr., Real have lacked a spark of inspiration in the final third this season, and that's something Hazard can provide in abundance.

The 28-year-old is at the peak of his powers, and he'd likely thrive alongside a selfless striker like Karim Benzema in the same way he dovetails well with Olivier Giroud.

Real should not hesitate in their pursuit of him as they look to rebuild.

What's Next

Chelsea travel to take on Slavia Prague in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday before playing at Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday, a day after West Ham play Manchester United at Old Trafford.