Earlier this season, Maurizio Sarri set a target of 40 goals for Eden Hazard this season. While his start to the campaign suggested he could match or come close to that mark at the end of this term, but things have slowed down, and Antonio Rudiger believes he knows why.
The German center-back opened up about his Belgian team-mate and his quest to reach Sarri's target. While the defender hailed the attacker, he also admitted that it would be difficult for the former Lille sensation to net 40 times in a single season due to two reasons.
Firstly, Rudiger argues that the level of the English top-flight makes it difficult for this to occur. The closest any player has ever gotten to scoring 40 goals in a single 38-match season was Mohamed Salah in 2017/18 with 32 strikes
However, in the defender's eyes, Eden is too selfless to ever reach this mark. He said (as per the Sun): "He is human, of course, he is.
"But the way he is playing is fantastic, we all know what he is capable of. I am happy that he scored.
"He is a leader. He provides a good example, not by speaking but by showing. He gets kicked often because he is good.
"With respect to the others, I think in the Premier League they are not stupid players, so to reach 40 goals? Maybe he can do it.
"But what he does is OK. We need to respect the other teams, it's not like they are bad or something.
"He does not have too much of an ego. If he sees other players standing in a better position, he plays them in."
A look at the 27-year-old's stats suggests there is truth in Rudiger's words. While the Belgian has assisted in each of his last four games for Chelsea, he went eight straight games without finding the back of the net. His single goal in the 2-1 win over Brighton ended that drought, but he currently boasts more assists than goals in the Premier League currently.
