Hazard vs Messi: Is Chelsea man finally playing at the same level?

Eden Hazard is not fussed about the Lionel Messi comparisons.

They have become a staple of his career ever since he burst on to the scene at Lille in 2008, often accompanied by the word 'potential'.

And for good reason. Hazard has never quite returned the numbers that would fit him into that elite category. He has the talent, but he has never showed it consistently enough.

While Messi recently topped 40 goals in a calendar year for the 10th time in a row, Hazard has not registered more than 20 in a single campaign since his title win in France with Lille, back in 2011.

But this season, the early signs suggest things are changing.

'I know Eden, we came here together and I played against him in France so I have seen him for a long time but, yes, I'm sure he can be the best,' said team-mate Cezar Azpilicueta, after the Belgian struck his first Premier League hat-trick for Chelsea against Cardiff last month.

'He has that quality of eliminating defenders. It's amazing.

'But this season he is adding goals and assists. Sometimes he was playing very good but maybe not selfish; he always gives passes to team-mates.

'Messi, Cristiano, they score 50 goals a year and that is very difficult in England. But from his point of view, if he's more aggressive in the box by scoring goals and making assists, he will be the top of his game.'

Under Maurizio Sarri, it looks like Hazard is doing just that.

After eight league matches, both Messi and Hazard have been involved in 10 goals apiece. So, is Hazard finally playing at Messi's level? Sportsmail delved into the statistics to find out.

Hazard the selfish goalscorer…

This won't be much of a surprise to Premier League watchers but Hazard is becoming more prolific in front of goal.

His goalscoring return of seven league goals in eight games leaves him just five shy of matching his total for the entirety of last season.

But Hazard's overall game-play hints that this run is no fluke.

He is taking more shots on goal than in previous years, averaging 3.6 shots per match, while he is also making those shots count.

The Chelsea forward has been far more efficient in front of goal than Messi. He has spent less time on the field than the five-time Ballon d'Or winner and taken less shots, but has still scored one more than his Argentine counterpart

Indeed, Hazard is currently averaging a goal every 82.43 minutes. Messi, meanwhile, strikes every 110.83 minutes.

Hazard is also putting away tougher chances, shown by his lower expected goals tally of 3.28 compared to Messi's 3.53.

This is all indicates that rather than seeking to set-up a teammate, Hazard is now more willing to go for goal himself, even if the probability of him scoring is low.

The statistics show there is little doubt that the diminutive Belgian is now more active and more ruthless in front of goal.

…but Messi the creator

But while Hazard's goalscoring prowess has dramatically improved, the scales have also balanced out the other way.

Messi is proving to be a much more of a creative force for Barcelona, perhaps stepping in to fill the void left by the departures of Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

Messi has one more assist than Hazard, but notably, he has created nine more chances, with an average of 3.79 a game, compared to Hazard's 2.96.

Indeed, Opta's measure for passes that you would normally expect to result in an assist, Expected Assists, puts Messi well-ahead of the Belgian playmaker.

Messi's higher score of 4.24 suggests he is creating more chances that should result in goals, while Hazard's lower score implies he is creating less dangerous opportunities.

Hazard's creative output has not hugely declined compared to recent seasons though. In fact he is taking more touches of the ball (100.14 per game) than ever before.

But Messi has taken his game to another level. The Argentine is now operating in deeper pockets, opting to play the final pass when before he would be on the end of them.

So while his goal return has fallen, Messi is compensating with his creative output.

Why the change under Sarri?

One of the most telling statistical comparisons from this season is that Hazard's dribbling success rate decline.

He has been far less successful  at beating a player than in previous years, leaving his numbers to fall way below his Argentine counterpart. Messi, of course, is a phenomenon when the ball is at his feet, yet Hazard has always shown himself to be more than a match for him.

This year that has changed, and that is likely due to his new attacking role under Sarri.

Whereas Antonio Conte sometimes forced Hazard to play isolated through the middle, Sarri is determined to use Hazard as his main goalscoring outlet, playing off of a recognised centre-forward. To do this, Hazard has had to play much higher up the field.

The stats reflect this. Hazard is taking many more touches in the final third this year than in previous years, while his influence from deep has declined.

This means when he attempts a dribble, he is doing so in areas where the stakes of risk and reward are far higher.

Not only this, but rather than taking players on, Hazard is simply shooting more often. Last season, Hazard would shoot on average 2.6 times per game. This year, that has shot up to 3.6.  Evidently, Sarri wants him to be more selfish.

Interestingly, Messi too has adapted this year as he enters the latter stages of his career. While he has not necessarily been dropping deeper - he has always done that - he is taking far less touches in the penalty area than ever before.

Unlike Hazard, for Messi, the emphasis has swung away from goals, and more towards creativity.

Conclusion

The way Hazard has started this season, he could well be on the road to an unprecedented personal goal haul.

There can be little doubting that the Belgian forward is playing in a different role under new manager Sarri and it leans heavily on improving his strike-rate.

Hazard is playing further up the pitch, but above all else, he is evidently being far more selfish in front of goal.

Too often he has favoured setting up a teammate rather than taking on chances himself, but the statistics show he is now shooting more and from tougher positions.

His goal against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, one of pure individual genius, shows that Chelsea can also depend on their star player to produce Messi-esque moments to win matches.

Considering how Messi's role at Barcelona is changing as he enters the twilight years of his career, you would not bet against Hazard matching, if not exceeding, Messi's goal return for the season.

But both players have been involved in the same number of goals this year and that looks set to continue.

Messi is now depended upon to both orchestrate and conduct attacking moves more than ever before in Catalunya.

As we have suggested, this may affect his goalscoring output but it will also improve his creative statistics too.

That does not mean Hazard cannot go toe-to-toe on a creative front. A new emphasis on goals has not resulted in a creative output decline, even if he cannot match the Argentine's influence.

It is important to note we are only eight games into the new season, so any predictions must also be taken with a degree of caution.

But if Hazard maintains the stunning form that has characterised his season to date, then he could well produce a return that finally justifies the Lionel Messi comparisons.