Eden Hazard lit up the Carabao Cup Third Round with a pearler of a strike to give Chelsea a 2-1 victory over Liverpool and while Reds manager Jurgen Klopp admitted it was a good goal, he felt that his players could perhaps defended the goal better.
Hazard casually nutmegged Roberto Firmino on the right flank, shrugged off a challenge from Naby Keita before megging Alberto Moreno inside the box and firing a powerful shot past Simon Mignolet in the 85th minute.
“I would say it’s pretty easy to say that here (in the press conference) because it was Eden Hazard and when he is on a run, he is on a run – but of course we could have defended better,” Klopp responded when asked whether his players could have better defended the winner.
The Belgian winger has begun the season in scintillating form and his latest golazo will rank right at the top of his campaign’s highlights without a doubt.
“I didn’t see it back so far so I will have to see it again. I thought we lost the ball up front, I am not 100 per cent sure, and it was pretty quick.”
Daniel Sturridge had put the Reds ahead against his former side just before the hour-mark, but Klopp’s men were too wasteful on the night and couldn’t hold on to their lead as Emerson stabbed home with 11 minutes remaining to equalise.
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“Then, in the box, Eden Hazard at full speed, with his turns, it’s not easy. We scored a similar goal a week or so ago and it’s difficult to defend, but of course it is better to defend and we know that. I don’t know in the moment how but tomorrow I will know,” the German tactician added.
Hazard’s strike consigned Liverpool to their first defeat of the season, ending their 100 per cent record in all competitions.
The Merseyside outfit don’t have much time to dwell on their loss for they travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday night for a Premier League clash with the Blues.
Liverpool, table toppers, lead Chelsea by two points and could increase that gap to five should they exact revenge for their cup exit.