Chelsea are in a three-way fight for the Premier League title with Manchester City and Liverpool after making it seven successive victories according to Eden Hazard.
Chelsea retained their place at the top of the table by adding Tottenham Hotspur to their growing list of scalps thanks to goals from Pedro and Victor Moses.
Hazard and his team-mates travel to Manchester City next and the Belgian believes Pep Guardiola’s team and Liverpool will provide Chelsea with their biggest challenge this season.
Asked whether City are the team Chelsea will have to finish above to lift the title, Hazard replied: “Man City and Liverpool. They are both good. If we want to be there at the end, then we have to finish above them.”
Chelsea have beaten Manchester United and now Spurs in their superb run of form, but Hazard knows that a win at the Etihad Stadium would send out a real statement of intent.
“Of course it would,” said the 25-year-old. “We know it’s always difficult to win there. They beat Burnley and they have a lot of good players – Aguero and De Bruyne. I hope it will be a good game and if we can win there it will be good.
“We want to keep going like this and we don’t want to stop now. We are full of confidence and we want to win every game.”
While their rivals are having to combine Premier League title challenges with Champions League and League Cup commitments, Chelsea have free weeks to prepare for games.
“It’s good,” said Hazard. “We have one week to prepare for the game and at the end of the week we know what to do when we play. Last year, we were just doing recovery so we weren’t always ready for the game, but that’s not the case now. We’re concentrating on the opposition during the week and give everything.
“We do lots of tactical work and video work, it depends who we’re playing. We do everything to be prepared.”
Hazard will be up against his Belgium international team-mate Kevin De Bruyne when Chelsea face City. The midfielder was sold to Wolfsburg for £18million, but has been a revelation since returning to England as a £55m player.
“He’s a top player,” said Hazard. “He didn’t get his chance here at Chelsea, but did very well in Germany and since he went to City he’s been on fire.
“Sometimes you don’t get the chance to play, or the system the manager uses isn’t right for you, but now he’s full of confidence. I hope next week he’ll have less confidence! It’s good for Belgium that two players are fighting for the title in England, but I hope when we go to the national team we don’t fight! We’re good friends.”
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