Another superb performance from the little Belgian magician yesterday v Liverpool.
(If Barcelona are valuing Coutinho, the other number 10 on the field yesterday, at £114 million, then Hazard`s number is now clearly beyond even Neymar`s.)
But while Eden`s reputation gets a deserved boost every time he plays, his shins/ankles/ribs etc get an undeserved battering.
No Premiership player is fouled anywhere near as much as Chelsea`s number 10.
No Premiership player has so many fouls against him go entirely unnoticed, run after brilliant run killed at birth by a shove or hold off the ball.
Go to the Nou and watch Barcelona`s number 10 play and you`ll find entirely more sophisticated refereeing crews clearly charged by the Spanish FA to ensure that best and brightest La Liga talents aren`t crushed by thugs.
Few players are as tough and resilient as Hazard – and none complain less; that`s the real delight (and curse) of the best player in the Premiership: he just gets up, dusts himself down and gets on with it, never complaining or whining at the treatment meted out to him each and every game.
You could argue that the CFC board`s inability to get out of its own way and match other clubs in the transfer market will ultimately make the Belgian superstar seek greener pastures. And you could be right.
Every player has the right to be selfish and seek the best possible payday and environment for himself and his family. Some fans will, of course, always moan and whine and claim disloyalty.
But in the case of Eden Hazard and his black and blue shins/ankles/ribs, nobody could blame him for seeking more humane playing fields.