Chelsea's Eden Hazard is a leader, says Sue Smith | Football News

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Eden Hazard shows the example and I like her reaction to Maurizio Sarri's criticism, says Sue Smith

Sue Smith was right to reject Maurizio Sarri's critics and Eden Hazard has no reason to doubt her skills.

After Chelsea's 2-0 defeat at Arsenal last week, Sarri accused Hazard of being "more of an individual player than a leader" and urged him to improve his performance.

Hazard responded with a goal and a man-of-the-match performance in Chelsea's win against Tottenham on Thursday, helping them to qualify for the Carabao Cup final.

The Belgian captain then said after the match: "No matter what the manager said, I think I'm a leader."

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The return match in the semifinal of the Carabao Cup between Chelsea and Tottenham

When asked if she agreed with Hazard's badessment of her abilities, the former Leeds player and Doncaster Belles Smith replied, "Without a doubt.

"He's giving the example, he'll get the ball back and get things moving, he's your spark and your player, you look at him, and when he's making things move, he's lifting the rest of the team.

"He is a leader and I loved his reaction after the match, to say that he is a leader and that he does not care what the manager says about him.

"He's just going on the pitch and doing his thing, and it's the best way to answer any matter."

Hazard has only 18 months left on his contact with Chelsea and has openly opened the idea of ​​pursuing a "dreamlike" project in Real Madrid.

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Striker Eden Hazard of Chelsea thinks he has shown that he is a leader for the team after helping the Stamford Bridge team beat Tottenham at the Carabao Cup final

Chelsea, however, is keen to keep the 28-year-old player and Smith claims that Sarri's harsh criticism could come back to haunt the club.

"What Sarri does is a little risky, you want to get the most out of your player, but you also want to make sure that he feels loved and sought after," Smith said.

"I'm sure he's doing this behind the scenes." You look and say: "Hazard is my key player, how will I get the best of him?"

"Let's hope that Sarri knows his character and what motivates him."

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