Hazard: Chelsea want to win again under Conte

Ian Watson

Eden Hazard is enjoying his football again and says the Chelsea squad have rediscovered their will to win under Antonio Conte.

With Conte at the helm, the Blues have won their opening two league games of the campaign.

Diego Costa was again the hero of the Chelsea faithful as he slotted home an 87th-minute winner at Watford on Saturday to seal a 2-1 comeback victory.

Etienne Capoue had put the Hornets ahead before substitute Michy Batshuayi was all-but gifted his first Chelsea goal as Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes pushed a Hazard shot straight into his path.

And it was left to Costa to supply the late euphoria, just as he did in the opening weekend win over West Ham, as the Spain international latched onto a wonderful Cesc Fabregas pass to slot home.

Hazard has had a lively start to the season having struggled for the majority of last year, not scoring his first league goals until April having been awarded the PFA Player of the Year in 2015 as Chelsea won the league.

Now he is ready to recreate that sort of form as Conte looks to deliver silverware in his maiden season at Stamford Bridge.

“He’s a good manager, he believes in his team and we try to give everything for him. We want to win for the fans too,” Hazard told Chelsea TV.

“It’s early. We have a good team, there are a lot of good teams in the Premier League and we will see at the end, but of course we want to be the champions.

“The attitude is fantastic, even in training everyone wants to win games. That’s why now we are winning. It’s just the start of the season but if we want to stay at the top we have to win. Both Manchester teams won, we had to win and we did.

“Two great games, we won two games, I am happy and I want to do my best for this team.”

New signing N’Golo Kante again impressed as Chelsea’s midfield destroyer and the France international, who won the Premier League with Leicester last season, wants to continue a strong start to this campaign.

“We hope to keep going in this way,” he said.

“We know when you come to Watford it will be a difficult game and it was. Watford are a good team but we won and we are happy.

“I am pleased to be a Chelsea player and I am happy with the start. The break (after the Euros) was short but a new challenge has started for me and it’s exciting.

“We know the coach has his idea of football and he tries to teach it to us. We try to win all the games like he wants.”