Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has insisted Eden Hazard is on the same level as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after last Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup semi-final.
Tottenham’s 1-0 win over Chelsea stands them in good stead for the second-leg at Stamford Bridge on January 24th.
Is Hazard as good as Messi and Ronaldo? Five things to know…
- Hazard currently has the same amount of goals as Ronaldo in all competitions (15).
- Messi is currently on 26 goals in all competitions at Barcelona.
- Hazard took Belgium further in the World Cup than Messi and Ronaldo did with Argentina and Portugal respectively.
- But Messi and Ronaldo remain peerless in terms of consistency and have 10 Ballon d’Or awards between them.
- Hazard, heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid, is yet to sign a new deal with Chelsea and has openly discussed a possible departure.
Despite being on the losing side on Tuesday, Hazard produced a star performance with a pass completion rate of 92%, completed eight dribbles and was only dispossessed once.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, according to Football London, Pochettino said: “Of course [Hazard] has unbelievable quality, which makes it so difficult to stop him.
“He is the type of high-level player like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, this type of player is difficult to stop.
“He played as a striker but dropped a lot to find the ball. When we scored he played more as an offensive midfielder and was so involved in the game, of course, it was difficult to stop him.”
When it was put to Pochettino that Hazard was fouled extensively over the contest, the Spurs manager answered: “No because he was involved, he played like a striker but dropped a lot. He dropping trying to find the ball and when we scored he played more as an offensive midfielder and was involved in the game.
“Of course he has unbelievable quality, it is so difficult to stop him. He is the type of player, high level, the same level as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, this type of player that is difficult to stop. That is why he was so involved in the game and, of course, it was difficult to stop him.”
This season, Hazard has benefitted from having more a free role. Rather than staying out wide, he has been able to come central and play like a striker, as Pochettino pointed out.
In this free role, Hazard has been able to top Chelsea’s scoring charts with 10 Premier League goals and nine assists. His assist tally puts him joint-top in the league, tied with Bournemouth’s Ryan Fraser.
Can Hazard really compare to Messi and Ronaldo?
When Hazard’s future is discussed, a subject that often arises is his ambition; whether he actually wants to be compared among the likes of Messi and Ronaldo, competing for Ballon d’Or titles.
However, at 28 years old, time could be running out for the Belgian trickster. With Pochettino suggesting that he is already at the level of Messi and Ronaldo, a highly anticipated move to Real Madrid could help him prove as much.
Yet, one thing that would help him show that he should be mentioned in the same conversations as Messi and Ronaldo is consistency. There’s no doubting Hazard’s quality, but his quality has come in patches. He started the year in red-hot form but went a whole two months without scoring a goal between October and December.
A move to Madrid in the summer could not only take him to the next level but also help him produce consistent performances in a division considered by some to be less competitive than the Premier League and typically dominated by one of two clubs: Real Madrid and Barcelona.
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