Hazard is the most fouled player in the Premier League this season
28.05.2020 21:33
Eden Hazard is currently lighting up the Premier League with his skills, flair and dribbling ability. He is arguably the favourite for the PFA Player of the Year award.
And it also turns out that the in-form Chelsea winger is the most fouled player in the league this season, with opposing players being penalised 74 times.
That works out at roughly three times a game; Hazard's twisting and turning is obviously too much for defenders at times. But who else makes the list?
In stats provided by Opta, Liverpool starlet Raheem Sterling is second after drawing 60 fouls so far this season.
Hazard and Sterling's game provokes challenges from defenders, and are often too quick with their low centre of gravity, so their status at the top is unsurprising.
Arsenal's player of the season so far Alexis Sanchez is also up there, but he is beaten to No 3 spot by Steven Naismith.
The Scottish forward has drawn 52 goals this season to Sanchez's 47, despite playing one less game than the former Barcelona man.
Santi Cazorla is also in the top 13, as is Southampton winger Sadio Mane with both being fouled 41 times.
Gabriel Agbonlahor (56), Remy Cabella (45), Leroy Fer (45), Stephane Sessegnon (44), Jack Colback (44), Connor Wickham (41) and Alexandre Song make up the list, but Hazard is the clear winner.
The Belgian has scored nine times this season and has added consistency to his game as Chelsea have opened a seven-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table.
He has been praised by manager Jose Mournho, who has also bemoaned the frequency of fouls on Hazard on several occasions.
'The first free-kick of every game is somebody kicking him,' the Portguese boss said last month.
'He has fouls and fouls and fouls. I don't see many yellow cards. Sometimes a yellow card is a consequence of violent conduct, but I also think that accumulation of small fouls is also violent conduct.
'The kid is suffering the consequences of that, but playing amazingly well.'
(dailymail.co.uk)
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