Arsenal Target Eden Hazard Cuts Open Saint-Etienne in 3-1 Romp

A brief look at the highlight reel from Saint-Etienne-Lille would tell you exactly why LOSC president Michel Seydoux refused to allow Belgian starlet Eden Hazard to leave Les Nordistes this past summer.

Scorer of seven goals a season ago, when Lille embarked upon a swashbuckling campaign which saw them clinch the Ligue 1 title, Hazard had seen three prominent members from the historic side leave during the offseason.

Central defender Adil Rami (Valencia), midfielder Yohan Cabaye (Newcastle United), and right winger Gervinho (Arsenal)—key contributors during a season that saw Les Dogues net a league-leading 68 goals—were expected to be nearly irreplaceable.

Yet manager Rudi Garcia couldn't feel too worried so long as Hazard still donned the red-and-blue home jersey.

Hazard was as integral a component to that double-winning side (the aforementioned domestic title and Coupe de France) as his erstwhile teammates, and perhaps more so.

After winning Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year honors for two seasons in a row (2008-09, 2009-10)—the first player to win the award twice—the young left winger captured Player of the Year honors in 2011-12.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, never one to let any young talent pass under his studious gaze, looked likely to make a concerted effort (ie. offer more than a penny) to bring Hazard to North London during the summer.

The Belgian has indicated in the past that he considers Arsenal one of his favorite clubs, which, when coupled with Wenger's penchant for giving youngsters consistent first-team action, could prove a major boon if the Alsace-born skipper is ever to try and get Hazard on the club's books.

Whether there are further efforts to secure Hazard's services during the coming January transfer window remains to be seen, but what is certain is that the Lille star (now the team's No. 10) looks far and away superior to the majority of the competition he faces on a weekly basis in the top French league.

Thankfully, Lille have the prospect of Champions League football to entice their young starlet. With his current form, Hazard looks set to take the competition by storm.

Against Saint-Etienne on Saturday, Hazard was phenomenal. After seeing his opponents reduced to 10 men, it took one blinding display of immaculate talent to fire his side level at 1-1.

Collecting the ball 35 yards from goal, the Belgian took on all comers (five in total), and produced a quick one-two dribble that left the last Saint-Etienne defender spinning like a top before finishing tidily past keeper Stephane Ruffier.

His celebration has become iconic—a quick shaking of his right wrist, as if to say "C'est dingue" (that's cool). It's the sort of nonchalant flick employed by a master chef, or a renowned composer—a signing of his impeccable work, so to speak.

After blowing past Les Verts on another occasion, Hazard sent his side ahead with an unstoppable left-footed cracker in the 73rd minute.

Lille would go on to win 3-1 (the final goal set up with a brilliant bit of play from loan signing Joe Cole, who assisted Ludovic Obraniak), but only one message resounded throughout the post-match stupor:

If this is to be Eden Hazard's swan song season in Ligue 1, he appears intent on making it an unforgettable one.