Neymar picked up the ball on the left and, seeing no way directly forward, began to swiftly traverse the pitch, seeking an angle to slip the ball through.
Immediately, he encountered resistance. James Milner, Jordan Henderson, the stars of Liverpool’s victory over Paris Saint-Germain, both tried to leave one on him. They couldn’t get near.
Neymar skipped and swerved, sashayed and shimmied. By the time he finished he was on the opposite flank, a little further ahead than when he started — but what a journey it had been. His pass was over-hit, and the move ended, but even so. That was some warning.
The match was only minutes old and a player who would seek acclaim as the finest in the world was up for it. If he could pick out Kylian Mbappe or Edinson Cavani, this might be a long night for Liverpool.
Yet in those opening minutes, the effort needed to get away had shown it was going to take a lot of hard yakka, as the Australians say. And Neymar didn’t fancy that. So it was pretty much the last we saw of him at Anfield.
That’s the point with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and those who would lay claim to their crown. It is never too much for them. No amount of work. No amount of running. Match after match. Season after season.
They would have found it hard going against Liverpool, too, playing at this intensity, but they would have kept on.
People think a tackle from Milner knocked Neymar out of the game, and it was certainly eye-catching and ferocious, a real statement of intent. But he’s from Brazil. He grew up playing against some of the most ruthless defending on the planet. A whack is nothing new.
It was more than that. It was the other 89 or so minutes that was going to hurt. The unrelenting commitment needed to beat Liverpool. That is what he didn’t fancy. It is the same with Eden Hazard. In brilliant form this season, obviously.
He was top of the charts for runs with the ball from the first game, and he only played 14 minutes of that, at Huddersfield. Yet one season on, one season off isn’t the pattern of the best player in the world, either, and that is the way Hazard’s form has progressed across roughly four seasons.
He was brilliant when Chelsea won the title under Jose Mourinho, and then disappeared in the next campaign. He was outstanding in Antonio Conte’s title-winning first year, disappointing as Chelsea trailed off in his second.
Now it looks as if we are going to see the best of him again. And, obviously, the best of Hazard can be the best of just about any footballer on the planet. Yet Messi and Ronaldo?
That was a different level of best, a new journey into exceptional grades of consistency and excellence. Ronaldo: 33 goals, 53 goals, 60, 55, 51, 61, 51, 42, 44. Messi: 40 goals or more in every campaign since 2007-08 — and 61 across the two seasons before that. And sure, some years will be better than others. But none fade into irrelevance.
None resemble Hazard’s 2015-16, when he didn’t score a Premier League goal until April 23 and found the net as many times for Belgium in 10 games as he did for Chelsea in 43.
This isn’t about Hazard being left at home for Chelsea’s match with PAOK Salonika on Thursday night, either. Even if Messi and Ronaldo’s clubs knew what the Europa League was these days, they wouldn’t play them in it, not the group stage. Hazard said he felt tired and that is to be respected. He is too valuable to risk.
If we know anything of Chelsea these last few years it is that, without him, they can be made to look rather ordinary.
It is no coincidence that in the two seasons when Hazard dipped, his club finished outside the Champions League places and Maurizio Sarri was masterful in easing him back into competition this season, after his exertions at the World Cup. Great players need protecting.
Yet the greatest, strangely, get little special treatment at all. Ronaldo has played less than 40 games for his club in one season since 2002-03, Messi has hit 40 as a minimum every year since playing 36 times in 2006-07.
Hazard has averaged 49 club games in his last 10 full seasons, which is impressive; except Ronaldo averages 49.1 and Messi 52.7. And no breaks, no breathers, no evenings when they simply did not fancy outrunning James Milner, no years when their team-mates had to go it alone. That is why the debate around the heirs to Messi and Ronaldo is, for now at least, moot.
One day, there may be others but at this point, they have raised the bar to a standard that no one is prepared to reach, or attempt. Not every week, anyway.
kokoroko
0
the bar is too high for any player alive.
TobechukwuOdinakaI
5
just once I will say this. hazard is the best player in epl, just as many of u have said chelsea has always been coached by defensive minded coach ever since hazard came from mourinho to conte to Rafael benitez but I tell you this if hazard were to be in a team that is attack based minded eg like barca, man city since guardiola, hazard will be scoring way more although he has to be more selfish, but chelsea this season with the arival of Sarri-ball I bet we will say difference in his goal scoring ability already 5g in 5gms. and as for Messi and Ronaldo they are a different class altogether but hazard is just below.
ebida
0
I think at the moment he is better than Neymar because of what he had done for club and country
[image]
of course he is for the moment and future to come!!![Chelsea]
ebida
2
I can't come and kill myself, that's what he meant,they can write anything 4 the money. critics pays more have come to realize this,people must react 4 them to get paid. etc
JnrMbaria
0
just face it Hazard is a good player and the managers and players round him have been a draw back. how do you expect him to hit that level with players like willian morata and groud ? even messi and ronaldo in this situations can't hit the top . plus this is the ell no one really dominates the EPL . hazard is right where he needs to be.
meetope
2
what are you driving at? are you comparing hazard to Messi or Ronaldo? I can sense a bit of dislike here. what can you say about Mosalah? what of Silva? Ozil? etc have they been superb all seasons?
Mcjoan
5
this is my queen bcoz cr7 is the king, he is great and he will continue to do great, I pray his form continues so as he can appear in the limelight
Sidmaris
2
This is predictable. We already know you don't like Hazard after you think he got Mourinho sacked (which is a totally false narrative). And we all know how much Martin loves him some Jose Mourinho.
foolhardy
2
Hazard "one season on and off" yet........................ Hazard has consistently finished 1st OR 2nd in PFA player of the year (i.e 1st OR 2nd best player in England) voting in 3 of his 6 full seasons at Chelsea 2013/14, 2014/15, 2016/17. No other Premier league player comes close to that. Has been either Player of the year, Young player of the year or Team of the year in 9 of 11 full professional seasons of his career. One bad season in a career does not mean inconsistent. Time to drop that myth.
Lenlife
3
Agreed he is not on the Messi/Ronaldo level...but Hazard is the best player in the Premier League
Diegojuan
2
He's another player that sits on that generational shelf just below Messi and Ronaldo. Not bad company; Neymar, Robben, Bale, Lewandowski, Ronaldinho even Rooney, until his last few years.
Geoffles
1
Thanks Martin for pointing out what many of us have thought about Gazidis for years - he will not be missed. As for Gascoigne - I know this has been repeated many times but worth hearing again. When he went north of the border to Glasgow Rangers, he was warming up pre match as a brass band played on the pitch. He chipped the Ball purposefully right inside the tuba. One of the photographers said it was luck and he couldn¿t do it twice - of course he did. They all laughed. He had incredible ball skills, vision (was 2 or 3 passes ahead of most teammates) and he could change a game. England haven¿t had a player like him in decades.
Jesseshain
1
Agree to certain degree! However currently he is the best in the world, needs to be more selfish and score more goals! Class player
frozenme
1
Capable of flashes of brilliance but lacks consistency and goals to be mentioned in the same breath as Messi and Ronaldo.... Enjoyable watch and definitely on the 2nd tier of player below the greats....as for Neymar he is just another wannabe more famous for his antics than hi football. Messi is pure talent Ronaldo is pure hard work....
Pinocchio
1
Neymar has already had played a season or 2 better than Ronaldo but you know ronlado just takes the awards since real Madrid win UCL leagues dispite not toping season charts or ratings
nayehao
1
Yes he dipped in Chelsea's bad season (I still think there was an underlying injury problem as he didn't improve when mourinho left), but he wasn't bad last year, he was just poorly used in a team set up to defend defend defend. Messi would have looked average for Chelsea last season. But he still played almost every game last season and was MOTM in 11 times. Hazard ain't Messi or Ronaldo but we won't see their like again for a generation. Same as we hadn't seen their like since maradona.
potatoe
0
Daily mail just sad they haven't forced him into a Real Madrid move
Brucellosis
0
I'm a bit curious about the Gazidas salary, £2.65m, now £2.6m per year would be easy worked out, it's 50k per week, but the other 0,05, I'm confused
tsunamia
1
You may be right about Hazard, but if you are comparing stats, Gascoigne's are not great.
varogres
1
One season on and off Hazard : Just in the last 4 months in Hazard's allegedly off season. UEFA Team of the Year, Silver Ball, World Cup top assist provider. I simple glance at the "Honors" section on Hazard's wiki page easily disproves such a notion.
Eugener
1
I agree with this article. Messi and Ronaldo really set an impossible bar, so I place them in a different category. I remember when the Balon d'Or and football, in general, was not goal obsessed, Zidane, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Figo all key players that won FIFA World Player or Balon D'or and it was not really about the goals, but Messi and Ronaldo came and changed that, it seems to be returning to the old ways though. These two are transcendent players. They are level 1 and the Neymar, Hazards etc are level below. It will take a while to see another Messi or Ronaldo. Ability wise Eden Hazard is right up there, the only frustration from his fans is that for such an amazing talent we know he can do so much more.
LoveKun
1
Best player in the league, has been for some time now! And he plays for Chelsea which is what the DM hates the most, now we also got Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic, Azpi,. It's not a one man team anymore.
Casacnorst
1
we will see then. which team has higher intensity. chelsea with all the passes and touches this season. cmon you blues!
Savannah
1
Maureen derailed hazard's development..He was meant to be better than he is .
Anniballi
1
It's a fair point, but I bet most of the number one players for real and barca average 40
Madonnai
0
It really is something, running away 1 month after Wenger, I thought he would've tried atleast for one year, but he's been exposed badly
Runningman
1
The key issue about Messi's and Ronaldo's superstar status is that both Barca and RM immediately realised their importance, and so every head coach and player who subsequently joined both clubs did so knowing that they would be playing second fiddle. Those who thought they were equal or better, for example Mourinho and Neymar eventually left. Chelsea have undervalued Hazard in comparison, at least until this season when it seems that Sarri now truly understands this player's capability and importance. Hopefully, with a season free from injury, lets then see whether comparisons between him and Messi/Ronaldo have validity.
introduce
1
Well let us not forget that Messi at Barca and Ronaldo at Real have or had 10 players as a supporting cast for them, who run, win the ball, open "the door" so they can shoot. Ever wonder why with Messi, who is that God-like super-footballer, Argentina has not won anything of note in the last few cycles of Copa America or WC? And how about the small pill Mr. Messi was taking until very recently because he had some hormone problems, a pill, which is prohibited for all athletes as performance enhancing? He must have been very tired after taking it and it required a heroic effort to play all these matches? Ever wonder how Portugal won the European final without the goal-scoring machine Ronaldo? Or why suddenly he is not averaging 3.7 goals per match in Italy. It will take some time to drill those Juve forwards to pass the ball to him instead of shooting. And finally, let us not forget the extreme ego and selfishness both superstars have.
elmusau
2
you made no sense ...
U.S.A8068637
4
this article is Bs.. all football you can't let garbage like this get published on your app.
YoSeasex
2
General hazard Chelsea hero
mudakpz
3
so it's about just goals only now. how many did Zidane, Ronaldinho, Eusabio, Maradona scored in their playing time. Messi is in a different league, The Modric, Xavi, Iniesta, Pirlo, Ramos and other good players are being disrespected by this Ronaldo /messi comparison
CHASEcalucho
3
if Chelsea can build a team around him ,support him in any with best players who can give him confidence just like he's feeling right now i think we will be seeing wholesome of him for the rest of his career.😍
Blacknight8235
0
Beautiful article, everything is placed in perspective, Neymar and Hazard are great players compared to the rest but are they willing to put in the work to compared to Messi and Ronaldo, I don't think so, they will do just enough to remain at their level, to excel, much more work has to be done, the commitment to play week in week out and scoring regularly every season to raise their standard
PaulGyamfi
4
I think at the moment he is better than Neymar because of what he had done for club and country