Is Chelsea’s good season down to the genius of Maurizio Sarri – or the brilliance of Eden Hazard?

STAMFORD BRIDGE, LONDON — Up to third in the Premier League, a European final in prospect, a domestic final already banked. Maybe Maurizio Sarri knows what he is doing after all? Indeed some might see genius in a coach whose team slam dunked an opponent 3-0 after being thoroughly outplayed in the first-half and booed down the tunnel. Or maybe his genius was to pick Eden Hazard, which of course is no indicator of a higher intellectual plane at all.

Five per cent more from Hazard at the start of the second-half is all it took to drain the blood from the Watford effort. Crosses for Ruben Loftus-Cheek and David Luiz, who both gleefully rammed home headers, took Hazard’s assists to 15 this season, the most in Europe’s top five leagues. If this is to be Hazard’s final contribution at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League he signed off with a quintessential contribution.

It was Hazard’s turn and shot that produced the corner that ultimately led to the opener. There is not a footballer on earth, including Leo Messi, who combines pace, power and adhesive control like the diminutive Belgian. He has feet like fly paper and they utterly did for a well-organised Watford team, who, had they had their own Hazard, would have been out of sight before Chelsea raised a lick.

‘Not brilliant physically’

Sarri blamed fatigue for the slow start. He took no credit for the result. In fact he blamed himself for the injury that saw N’Golo Kante leave the pitch in the eighth minute and claimed his team were lucky to score when they did. “We were tired physically and mentally in the first-half. In the second-half they lowered their intensity. We were lucky because we scored after two minutes. After that we improved mentally and were able to play well for 35 minutes.

“It is not easy to play 60 hours after a match away. After the Europa League we have won only one match. When you are not brilliant physically you have to move the ball, one two touches. The ball is not tired. In the second half we did it better.”

Gerard Deulofeu, Troy Deeney and Abdoulaye Doucore all had excellent chances to score. In the second-half Watford continued to push, hitting the woodwork and seeing a goal disallowed. Yet it was Chelsea who struck again. You know it’s not your day when Gonzalo Higuain hits the net. Neatly done, mind you, from a fine through ball from Pedro.

Despite this being an 11th defeat against the top-six this season Watford coach Javi Gracia was not deterred: “In many of those matches we had chances to get a better result,” he said. “I realise we have to do something to get better. When you don’t get the results it is disappointing. We didn’t take the chances. We have to be more aggressive.

“In the first-half we had the chances. In the second we conceded two goals from set-pieces. Losing 3-0 I’m not happy. I like the way we played but you have to take advantage. If you don’t do it in these stadiums these teams always have moments when they create chances. We suffered.”

Loftus-Cheek the missing link

Beyond Hazard this was a fine afternoon for Loftus-Cheek, who stepped off the bench to replace the injured Kante and delivered the kind of performance that ought to come as standard given his gifts. It is unusual for such poise to issue from such an imposing frame. Loftus-Cheek has long been tagged as the best of his generation at Chelsea but played as if he didn’t quite believe it. There was no deficit in mentality here as he provided a compelling link between Jorginho and Chelsea’s front line.

Delighted as he was with the win and the top-four spot it promises, Sarri wants a pot on the sideboard this season. “We want to be in the top four because we want to play in the Champions League. The Europa League is a very important competition and we want to win it because we think we deserve a trophy this season. So we have two targets.”

Gary Cahill came on for a minute in his final match for Chelsea. This was viewed as a reward for services rendered by Sarri. Or perhaps he had read of Cahill’s displeasure at his treatment in the morning papers and instead wrapped one final insult in ribbons.