Eden Hazard ready for the new challenge of teams figuring out Chelsea's 3-4-3

Eden Hazard's latest interview with the Chelsea official website is mostly about his brother(s), as Thorgan and Eden recently fulfilled a career goal of playing together for their country, while Kylian was apparently living with Eden in London while undergoing treatment for knee ligament damage at Cobham.  (Kylian plays in Hungary for Újpest FC and he's expected to be back in training with them by end of the month.)

But there were also a few words about the actual football on offer, with Hazard providing many of the same answers we've come to expect from him over the years.  Above all else, he just wants to play, the more the better, and do whatever it takes to help the team win.  That used to mostly involve creating chances for others, but this season's edition of Hazard is creating plenty for himself as well.

"It's the first time I am not playing in the Champions League or the Europa League. I prefer to play all the time because I like football, and I want to play, play, play, and be on the pitch, but for the body and for the freshness sometimes it's good to rest and be completely ready for the next game."

"Now we can train the whole week getting ready for the weekend game and we have time to adapt. We know everything when we start the game because the manager has shown us some clips, and so we know what to do, and then we try and do it."

"I try to go straight at the goal and be decisive for the team. I don't think a lot about it, if I shoot or pass. It's natural. I try to make the best decision at the best moment and if that is to shoot then I will shoot, otherwise I keep dribbling or make a pass."

We'll need some of this Hazard goodness today at Middlesbrough, who have shown plenty of defensive resilience so far this season.

"Maybe for the opposition they now know where we are good, they can be a little bit more prepared, they know what they have to do, and if we want to beat them we have to be ready for that. It's the new challenge for us."

-Eden Hazard; source: Chelsea FC

A win today would put Chelsea top of the league for the first time since winning it all in 2014-15.  As we did then, so we do now, we'll need Eden to help us along.