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If Manchester United are to come away from Stamford Bridge with a respectable result this Saturday, nullifying or at the very least reducing the impact of Eden Hazard will be essential.
The Chelsea talisman has a pretty strong record against the Red Devils anyway, five goals and two assists in 13 appearances, but has also been in the form of his career so far this season with seven Premier League strikes to his name already.
So, how do United go about stopping Hazard? Football FanCast lay out five suggested solutions below…
Solution A – Luke Shaw at right-back
It may sound like complete madness, especially as United don’t have too many alternatives to choose from at left-back, but placing defenders on their less favoured side to stop wingers that notoriously cut inward has proved successful in the Premier League before.
Just last season, the two best performances against Mohamed Salah came from Serge Aurier and United’s very own Ashley Young, so why can’t the same work when moving a left footer to the other side?
The slight difference is that Hazard can go both ways. But the right foot is no doubt his preferred one, and placing a left-footed full-back against him will at the very least propose the Belgian talisman with a different kind of obstacle to beat.
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Solution B – Ander Herrera in man-marking role
It’s a role the Spaniard has taken up before, most effectively in United’s 2-0 win over Chelsea at Old Trafford during the 2016/17 campaign. But it didn’t have the same impact in subsequent contests and inevitably impacts the balance of the team as Hazard’s movement drags Herrera across the pitch with it.
Accordingly, that allows Chelsea the opportunity to overload in other areas, particularly the midfield, which could have far greater consequences against this current Blues crop that looks to dominate possession under Maurizio Sarri. During Antonio Conte’s time in charge, it was much more a case of Hazard or bust going forward.
Solution C – Double full-backs on the right wing
Using two full-backs on the same flank was once a common tactic in the Premier League during the days of 4-4-2 and it would certainly bolster United’s resilience down Hazard’s wing. Diogo Dalot hasn’t seen much action so far this season but with youthful energy on his side, the Portuguese is the strongest candidate to provide protection in front of Young while occasionally bursting forward on the counter. The inevitable downside is, of course, that United will take away from their own attacking quality in the final third.
Solution D – Five-man defence
Wing-back formations haven’t served United so well this season, both of their Premier League games using such systems resulting in defeats with three goals conceded, but execution and chiefly deploying midfielders at right centre-half has been the biggest problem here.
Much like the double full-back option, it’s greatest advantage centres around putting Hazard between two defenders – in this instance a wing-back and a wide centre-half – but the Belgian’s reluctance to track back should in turn give the right wing-back plenty of room to exploit in possession as well. Turning a team’s strength into their biggest weakness is usually a sure-fire way to victory.
Solution E – Kick his shins and hope for the best
When United went to Stamford Bridge in the 2017 FA Cup, Mourinho made a slight modification to the man marking approach – rather than just one player trying to take Hazard out of the game, everybody contributed by taking it in turns to foul the Chelsea star.
Pretty quickly, Michael Oliver decided enough was enough and sent off Herrera for not only his two fouls on Hazard, but also the cumulative approach United had taken to stopping the Belgium international.
But with a different referee in Mike Dean this weekend, United might just get away with it this time around if they’re a little cuter about it.
So, United fans, how should the Red Devils go about stopping Hazard? Let us know by voting below…
