Football News

Chelsea have not taken Eden Hazard’s PFA Team of the Year snub well

By Harry Edwards

Published: 11:55, 25 April 2019 | Updated: 22:24, 20 September 2022

Chelsea have released a stats-based article on the club’s official website disputing the PFA’s Premier League Team of the Year.

The team was announced on Thursday morning, and included six Manchester City players, four from Liverpool and Paul Pogba.

Where was Eden Hazard in the Team of the Year? Five key things to know…

  1. The PFA Premier League Team of the Year was announced on Thursday morning, sparking intense conversation.
  2. It was largely made up of Manchester City and Liverpool players, understandable given the title race.
  3. But there was one surprise inclusion with Paul Pogba making his way into the team ahead of the likes of Eden Hazard and Mohamed Salah.
  4. And this is something Chelsea look to have disputed, releasing an article breaking down Hazard’s “outstanding stats”.
  5. Hazard has been directly involved in 29 Premier League goals this season, more than any other player.

https://audioboom.com/posts/7241178-squawka-talker-awards-player-of-the-year-to-the-premier-league-s-biggest-flop

This meant there was no place in the XI for Chelsea star Eden Hazard, who has been vital to the club’s push for a top four finish.

The Belgian has been directly involved in 29 goals in the Premier League this season, more than any other player in the division, including 13 assists.

Hazard was, however, included in the six-man shortlist for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award which will be announced on Sunday – though the Belgian is not expected to win.

And it is this which appears to have surprised Chelsea, given how important Hazard has been.

An article on the club’s official website read: “Eden Hazard did make the six-man shortlist for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award which was announced at the weekend, yet he has not been named in the PFA Premier League Team of Year for 2018/19 which was unveiled this morning.

“Our no.10 is enjoying an outstanding season full of eye-catching moments and his non-selection is being widely described as a surprise omission. Certainly his headline statistics from the current season cannot have counted against him when the votes were cast.

“Hazard is enjoying his best Premier League campaign to date when it comes to goals and assists combined, and indeed he tops the table for that total across the all the players at all 20 clubs.

“One more goal in the remaining three matches and he will have surpassed his 16 scored in the league in 2016/17.

“His 13 assists is already two greater than his best previous Premier League tally, which came in his first season here in 2012/13.”

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The Full PFA Team of the Year

Hazard’s exclusion and Pogba’s inclusion have not been the only sources of conversation after the Team of the Year was announced on Thursday morning.

Understandably, some fans have been unhappy to see their favourite players snubbed, with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Alisson missing out from Liverpool.

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson was picked ahead of Alisson, despite the latter’s impressive debut Premier League campaign.

He makes up a back five including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, Aymeric Laporte and Andrew Robertson.

Ahead of them in midfield are Pogba, Fernandinho and Bernardo Silva – who has performed brilliantly in Kevin De Bruyne’s absence over the season.

And the team is capped off by Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero and Sadio Mane.