Hazard scores first goals of the season against Bournemouth

Eden Hazard scored his first league goals of the season as Chelsea overcame Bournemouth in an entertaining game.

Cesc Fabregas provided Chelsea’s first three goals, teeing up Pedro and Hazard in the first half before releasing Willian for the third after the break.

The Cherries had got back to 2-1 when Tommy Elphick’s header crept in before the interval.

But Hazard, who netted 19 times last season, finished from Nemanja Matic’s pull-back in injury time.

Hazard lights up

The Belgian, returning from a five-game lay-off with a hip injury, had been held up as one of the main men culpable for Jose Mourinho’s departure as Chelsea boss in December, following a horrendous start to their Premier League title defence.

In contrast to the 2014-15 campaign, when he was voted player of the year by his fellow professionals, Hazard had looked lacking in motivation and desire at times this term, with his only two goals coming in the FA Cup.

Hazard was one of seven Blues players who had started their shock 1-0 loss to Bournemouth five months ago, but he was direct and effective in the return fixture at Dean Court.

Fabregas, having already slipped in a through-ball for Pedro to finish one-on-one for the opener, teed up Hazard with a clever backheel and the former Lille forward found the bottom corner from 20 yards out.

And after Willian, once again racing on to a Fabregas pass, had restored a two-goal cushion, Hazard poked in his second to finish off a display that would have left incoming manager Antonio Conte excited about the talent at his disposal when he comes to Stamford Bridge in the summer.

Cherries fall away

Bournemouth’s contribution to a game between two sides with little to play for should not go unheralded, and it is a testament to their tremendous season that a win would have drawn them level on points with ninth-placed Chelsea.

It is no longer a surprise to see Eddie Howe’s men competing with the top tier’s strongest outfits and they did well, particularly in the first half, to test a Chelsea defence that had makeshift centre-half John Mikel Obi at its heart after Gary Cahill had fallen ill overnight.

Steve Cook shot over when he should have scored after keeper Asmir Begovic had flapped at a cross.

And they deserved to get back into the game when Elphick’s header from a short corner slid in off Begovic’s right-hand glove.

The Cherries drifted out of the contest as the game drew on, but Callum Wilson stepped off the bench for the third consecutive game as he continues his positive recovery from a seven-month injury lay-off.