Eden Hazard Calls on Chelsea’s Attacking Trio to Enjoy Their Football
Former Chelsea star Eden Hazard has called on Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and João Pedro to maintain the freedom and enjoyment that have characterised their promising start to the season.
The attacking trio have quickly become one of the main talking points around Chelsea after producing a combined 10 goals and 11 assists during the club’s opening six matches across the Premier League and Carabao Cup.
Palmer has contributed four goals and two assists, while Rogers has three goals and six assists. João Pedro has also made his mark with three goals and three assists.
Beyond the numbers, Hazard has been encouraged by the understanding developing between the three players, particularly the way they combine in the final third.
“I like it. I like when they link together. Of course, I want them to score a lot of goals and have fun,” Hazard said.
The Belgian believes Chelsea supporters have reason to be excited by the attacking potential of the trio, although he warned against making immediate comparisons with previous generations of Chelsea forwards.
Asked whether Palmer, Rogers and João Pedro could eventually be regarded alongside the front three he played with during his Chelsea career, Hazard responded positively but stressed the importance of patience.
“Yeah, I think so. We need to give them time, but Rodgers is new, Cole is a bit old now, but he still has the quality,” he said.
Hazard’s comments come with considerable experience of succeeding at Stamford Bridge. He joined Chelsea from Lille in 2012 and went on to make 352 appearances for the club, scoring 110 goals and providing 92 assists in all competitions.
His Chelsea career ended in spectacular fashion in the 2019 UEFA Europa League final, when he scored twice and provided an assist as Chelsea defeated Arsenal 4-1 in Baku to lift the trophy for the second time.
Having experienced both the pressure and expectations that come with playing for Chelsea, Hazard wants the current generation to focus on producing their best football rather than carrying the weight of comparisons with the past.
“Like I said before, I just want to see them having fun on the pitch, scoring goals, and as a Chelsea fan, we want them to win things,” Hazard added.
The former Belgium international also remains closely connected to the club through his family, revealing that his children are Chelsea supporters and that they watch the team whenever they play.
“Of course, all my kids are big Chelsea fans, so we have to watch every time they play,” Hazard said. He also praised the club’s progress under its new manager and with a reshaped squad.
Hazard, however, stopped short of predicting what Chelsea can achieve this season, pointing to the competitiveness of the Premier League while acknowledging that the team has a good manager, quality players and a strong squad.
“The Premier League is so hard to win. But they have a good manager, good players, good squad, so let’s see,” he said.
The numbers suggest Chelsea’s new attacking combination has made an encouraging start, and Hazard’s message is for Palmer, Rogers and João Pedro to build on that momentum without losing the enjoyment that has helped make their partnership so productive.