Eden Hazard was described by Chelsea assistant boss Gianfranco Zola as one of the worldâs best players and âgetting better and betterâ after the forwardâs stunning late goal sealed a 2-1 Carabao Cup win at Liverpool.
Hazard sent an emphatic strike past Simon Mignolet at the end of a wonderful run in the 85th minute of the third-round tie as Chelsea came from behind and halted the Redsâ winning start to the season.
When it was put to Zola afterwards that Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher had said Hazard was the Premier Leagueâs best player, the Italian said he felt the assessment was correct.
And Zola said: âI think Eden is one of the best players in Europe and one of the best players in the world, for sure, and what heâs done, that goal, is proof of that.
âHe is getting better and better. He is doing the right things at the right moment and in a wonderful way.â
Hazard got away from Jordan Henderson and Fabinho and sent the ball through Roberto Firminoâs legs out to Cesar Azpilicueta on the right.
He then received it back, jinking past Naby Keita and then Alberto Moreno as he moved into the box, and cracking a shot across Mignolet into the net.
As well as scoring, Hazard, brought on as a substitute just before Daniel Sturridgeâs acrobatic 58th-minute opener, was also involved in the equaliser in the 79th minute when he delivered a free-kick, Ross Barkleyâs header was parried by Mignolet and Emerson Palmieri prodded in.
The incident went to a VAR review for offside before the final call was made that the goal should stand.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp â who, like his Chelsea counterpart Maurizio Sarri, made eight changes to his starting line-up ahead of the clubs meeting again at Stamford Bridge in the league on Saturday â questioned the leveller.
Klopp said: âI donât think itâs a foul (Keitaâs challenge on Victor Moses which led to the free-kick). And then, I donât think I have the Liverpool glasses on my nose â I would say itâs offside.
âYou have two players that are clearly offside and they block my players.
âAnd then the one, Barkley, who makes the header, for me, is offside as well. Not much. I donât expect that the ref (Kevin Friend) would see that. But then you have the VAR and have a look and itâs close. Why do you use it if you donât want to make the decision then? Thatâs all.â
Klopp, whose sideâs 100 per cent start had featured seven wins in all competitions, added: âSo I donât feel bad, because it was only unlucky. You have a free-kick that was maybe no free-kick. And the other one â maybe in the future when you use VAR then you say: âOK, thatâs offsideâ.
âI donât expect using in situations like this the VAR, to be honest. But if you use it, make a decision.â