Chelsea News: Hazard’s not Messi, you can’t rely on him to get 40 goals per season, says former Blues midfielder

What's the story?

Former Chelsea midfielder, Craig Burley, has opined that while Eden Hazard is enjoying a phenomenal season, he is not Lionel Messi as he does not possess the ability to score 40 goals per season for the Blues.

In case you didn't know...

Chelsea moved above Arsenal into fourth place on the Premier League table after being held to a 2-2 draw against Burnley at Stamford Bridge on Monday night.

The Blues are however only a point away from the Gunners who have a game in hand to leap over their London rivals in the race for a top-four finish.

With the top two spots already booked by Manchester City and Liverpool, the battle for the remaining two spots is as intense as ever with Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United all battling for Champions League football.

The heart of the matter

Burley believes that Chelsea's dependence on Hazard will not help them in the chase, as the Belgian cannot carry too much weight on his shoulders.

Speaking to ESPN (via Express UK), he said,

"Chelsea’s plan this season has been to get the ball to Eden Hazard. When that fails, the plan is to get the ball to Eden Hazard, then it’s still the same, and everybody is waiting on this guy."

"He’s had a good season, but he’s carrying so much weight on his shoulders of those who haven’t performed consistently."

"He’s not Messi. He’s a great player, very good player, but you can’t rely on him to get 40 goals per season."

He added,

"Others have to take charge, take responsibility. Too often they think ‘he’ll dig us out of the hole, he’ll get us a result’, but today proved that isn’t always going to be the case."

What's next?

Chelsea is next scheduled to face Manchester United in a decisive Premier League clash on Sunday.