Bundesliga Fixtures 2018.10.07
Bundesliga Fixtures 2018.10.07
Freiburg Vs Leverkusen
Hoffenheim Vs Frankfurt
Leipzig Vs Nurnberg
Freiburg Vs Leverkusen
Hoffenheim Vs Frankfurt
Leipzig Vs Nurnberg
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gahala neda anthima mohotheManchester United 3 Newcastle United 2: Sanchez completes stunning turnaround
Liverpool Vs Manchester City
Congratulations Manchester United!
Kalekin dakapu pattama comeback ekak
Pattama attack ekak dunne 2nd half nam team ekama
United backline eke thamai thiyana lokuma awlastable naha poddakwath
Backline ekath hadagatthanam kiyala wadak naha.
International break eken passe Chelsea away match eka thiyenne.Ethana idala tough matches set ekakma thiyanawa
Good Luck Manchester United!
Nobody really appreciate MATA!! Since mata came as a sub the game was something else. Not that dull first half!
Ow Mike
Mata ge free-kick ekath maru& issarahata thiyanawa amaru matches set ekak.Chelsea(A),Juventus(H),Everton(H).Bounemouth(A),Juventus(A),City(A).Lesi wenne naha
Southampton 0 Chelsea 3: Hazard, Barkley & Morata keep pressure on title rivals
Chelsea kept the pressure on Manchester City and Liverpool as they temporarily moved to the top of the Premier League with a 3-0 win at Southampton.
The Blues are a rejuvenated side under Maurizio Sarri and two men inspired by the new manager this term were influential on Sunday, with Ross Barkley creating Eden Hazard's opener and netting the second himself to open his account for the club, before the Belgium star teed up a third for Alvaro Morata.
Barkley was on the very fringes of Antonio Conte's Chelsea team, in which the system shackled star performer Hazard, but the pair are thriving now and combined to devastating effect at St Mary's.
Although Southampton had chances to make the three points a trickier conquest for the visitors, Sarri's men were deserving winners as they sent a message to their closest title rivals, who face each other at Anfield later in the day.
Desperate early attempts to crowd out Hazard saw a loose ball break to Willian for a deflected shot that looped onto the crossbar, before Southampton belatedly responded and Danny Ings somehow volleyed over the top from four yards.
Wesley Hoedt was fortunate not to concede a penalty as he slid into Olivier Giroud and the hosts' luck then ran out when Barkley freed Hazard to calmly send the goalkeeper the wrong way.
Another big Saints miss followed the restart as Ryan Bertrand lashed off target and they again paid the price, with the unmarked Barkley stabbing into the net from a misdirected Giroud scissor-kick.
A late flurry saw Nathan Redmond rattle the crossbar and Morata then shoot straight at Alex McCarthy on the counter, before the Chelsea substitute made amends with a dinked finish in the third minute of stoppage time.
Chelsea kept the pressure on Manchester City and Liverpool as they temporarily moved to the top of the Premier League with a 3-0 win at Southampton.
The Blues are a rejuvenated side under Maurizio Sarri and two men inspired by the new manager this term were influential on Sunday, with Ross Barkley creating Eden Hazard's opener and netting the second himself to open his account for the club, before the Belgium star teed up a third for Alvaro Morata.
Barkley was on the very fringes of Antonio Conte's Chelsea team, in which the system shackled star performer Hazard, but the pair are thriving now and combined to devastating effect at St Mary's.
Although Southampton had chances to make the three points a trickier conquest for the visitors, Sarri's men were deserving winners as they sent a message to their closest title rivals, who face each other at Anfield later in the day.
Desperate early attempts to crowd out Hazard saw a loose ball break to Willian for a deflected shot that looped onto the crossbar, before Southampton belatedly responded and Danny Ings somehow volleyed over the top from four yards.
Wesley Hoedt was fortunate not to concede a penalty as he slid into Olivier Giroud and the hosts' luck then ran out when Barkley freed Hazard to calmly send the goalkeeper the wrong way.
Another big Saints miss followed the restart as Ryan Bertrand lashed off target and they again paid the price, with the unmarked Barkley stabbing into the net from a misdirected Giroud scissor-kick.
A late flurry saw Nathan Redmond rattle the crossbar and Morata then shoot straight at Alex McCarthy on the counter, before the Chelsea substitute made amends with a dinked finish in the third minute of stoppage time.
Fulham 1 Arsenal 5: Lacazette leads Gunners to ninth consecutive win
Arsenal made it nine wins in a row in all competitions as they thrashed Fulham 5-1 in the Premier League on Sunday.
Alexandre Lacazette scored twice for the Gunners before Aaron Ramsey's brilliant finish and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's late double secured a third straight away win in the top flight – their best such run since October 2016.
Andre Schurrle had brought Fulham level at half-time, but it is now five defeats in eight games for Slavisa Jokanovic's side, who have conceded 21 times in those matches this season.
Unai Emery's side, who have won every game since back-to-back losses to Manchester City and Chelsea in August, are now third in the table, above rivals Tottenham on goal difference.
Maxime Le Marchand's timely interception denied Lacazette early on, but the France striker broke the deadlock against the run of play 29 minutes in, turning past Tim Ream and drilling home from six yards out, Nacho Monreal with the assist.
Fulham's back three looked exposed with every Arsenal attack and only fine work from Marcus Bettinelli stopped Alex Iwobi tapping home a second, but they snatched an equaliser a minute before half-time, Schurrle clipping a fine first-time finish over Leno after a good Luciano Vietto pass.
Bettinelli made an excellent one-handed save to deny Hector Bellerin just after the break, but he was beaten in the bottom-left corner barely a minute later as Lacazette blasted home his second of the game on the half-volley.
Any hope of another Fulham comeback was quelled with 23 minutes left, as Ramsey, 39 seconds after coming on, flicked a backheel in off the post after a super counter-attack gave Aubameyang room to cross.
Aubameyang sealed the victory in style, collecting Bellerin's cross and firing left-footed beyond Bettinelli on the turn, before striding onto Ramsey's pass and drilling into the bottom-left corner in injury time.
Arsenal made it nine wins in a row in all competitions as they thrashed Fulham 5-1 in the Premier League on Sunday.
Alexandre Lacazette scored twice for the Gunners before Aaron Ramsey's brilliant finish and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's late double secured a third straight away win in the top flight – their best such run since October 2016.
Andre Schurrle had brought Fulham level at half-time, but it is now five defeats in eight games for Slavisa Jokanovic's side, who have conceded 21 times in those matches this season.
Unai Emery's side, who have won every game since back-to-back losses to Manchester City and Chelsea in August, are now third in the table, above rivals Tottenham on goal difference.
Maxime Le Marchand's timely interception denied Lacazette early on, but the France striker broke the deadlock against the run of play 29 minutes in, turning past Tim Ream and drilling home from six yards out, Nacho Monreal with the assist.
Fulham's back three looked exposed with every Arsenal attack and only fine work from Marcus Bettinelli stopped Alex Iwobi tapping home a second, but they snatched an equaliser a minute before half-time, Schurrle clipping a fine first-time finish over Leno after a good Luciano Vietto pass.
Bettinelli made an excellent one-handed save to deny Hector Bellerin just after the break, but he was beaten in the bottom-left corner barely a minute later as Lacazette blasted home his second of the game on the half-volley.
Any hope of another Fulham comeback was quelled with 23 minutes left, as Ramsey, 39 seconds after coming on, flicked a backheel in off the post after a super counter-attack gave Aubameyang room to cross.
Aubameyang sealed the victory in style, collecting Bellerin's cross and firing left-footed beyond Bettinelli on the turn, before striding onto Ramsey's pass and drilling into the bottom-left corner in injury time.
AC Milan 3 Chievo 1: Higuain nets brace in comfortable win
Gonzalo Higuain scored twice as AC Milan cruised to a 3-1 Serie A victory over bottom club Chievo on Sunday.The former Napoli forward netted his brace as part of a comfortable first-half showing, setting Gennaro Gattuso's side on the path to just their third league win of the season.
Giacomo Bonaventura added a third for Milan after the break, before Sergio Pellissier pulled one back for the visitors in the 63rd minute.
Pellisier's consolation extended a run of Milan having scored and conceded in each of their last 11 Serie A matches, which have now featured 41 goals in total.
Milan enjoyed the better of the early play but almost fell behind in embarrassing circumstances, as captain Ignazio Abate misjudged a header back to Gianluigi Donnarumma, forcing the goalkeeper into a diving save low to his right.
Chievo lived dangerously in the 19th minute when Stefano Sorrentino pushed a Bonaventura strike into the path of Hakan Calhanoglu, whose own effort was intercepted by a crucial block from Fabio Depaoli.Bonaventura then lifted over from close range after being played in by Suso, but Higuain made no mistake a minute later.
Suso was again the architect, squaring a pass for the Argentina striker to turn in between the legs of Sorrentino, and the same pair combined for Milan’s second – a through ball splitting the visitors’ disjointed back line and Higuain slotting home the finish.
Abate tested Sorrentino early in the second half, before a deflected Bonaventura strike from the edge of the box after 56 minutes put the result beyond doubt.A momentary lapse cost the hosts their clean sheet as a Cristian Zapata pass out from the back was pounced on by Pellisier, who fired in a low drive from just outside the area, but it was all Chievo muster in their comeback bid.
Abate tested Sorrentino early in the second half, before a deflected Bonaventura strike from the edge of the box after 56 minutes put the result beyond doubt.A momentary lapse cost the hosts their clean sheet as a Cristian Zapata pass out from the back was pounced on by Pellisier, who fired in a low drive from just outside the area, but it was all Chievo muster in their comeback bid.
Gonzalo Higuain scored twice as AC Milan cruised to a 3-1 Serie A victory over bottom club Chievo on Sunday.The former Napoli forward netted his brace as part of a comfortable first-half showing, setting Gennaro Gattuso's side on the path to just their third league win of the season.
Giacomo Bonaventura added a third for Milan after the break, before Sergio Pellissier pulled one back for the visitors in the 63rd minute.
Pellisier's consolation extended a run of Milan having scored and conceded in each of their last 11 Serie A matches, which have now featured 41 goals in total.
Milan enjoyed the better of the early play but almost fell behind in embarrassing circumstances, as captain Ignazio Abate misjudged a header back to Gianluigi Donnarumma, forcing the goalkeeper into a diving save low to his right.
Chievo lived dangerously in the 19th minute when Stefano Sorrentino pushed a Bonaventura strike into the path of Hakan Calhanoglu, whose own effort was intercepted by a crucial block from Fabio Depaoli.Bonaventura then lifted over from close range after being played in by Suso, but Higuain made no mistake a minute later.
Suso was again the architect, squaring a pass for the Argentina striker to turn in between the legs of Sorrentino, and the same pair combined for Milan’s second – a through ball splitting the visitors’ disjointed back line and Higuain slotting home the finish.
Abate tested Sorrentino early in the second half, before a deflected Bonaventura strike from the edge of the box after 56 minutes put the result beyond doubt.A momentary lapse cost the hosts their clean sheet as a Cristian Zapata pass out from the back was pounced on by Pellisier, who fired in a low drive from just outside the area, but it was all Chievo muster in their comeback bid.
Abate tested Sorrentino early in the second half, before a deflected Bonaventura strike from the edge of the box after 56 minutes put the result beyond doubt.A momentary lapse cost the hosts their clean sheet as a Cristian Zapata pass out from the back was pounced on by Pellisier, who fired in a low drive from just outside the area, but it was all Chievo muster in their comeback bid.
Atletico Madrid 1 Real Betis 0: Correa comes off the bench to hit winner
Angel Correa scored his second league goal of the season to help Atletico Madrid to a hard-fought 1-0 win over Real Betis that moved Diego Simeone's men to the top of LaLiga.The two sides went into the game with the same amount of points but Diego Simeone's strikers struggled for long periods as Betis left them little room to manoeuvre.
Nikola Kalinic made his first LaLiga start for Atletico following his €15m transfer from AC Milan and he hit the post as the hosts probed for a second-half winner.
Substitute Correa turned the game through sheer determination, winning possession before driving home a winning goal.Loren Moron had the chance to give the visitors an early lead when he broke through the middle of the Atleti defence but he dragged a low drive well wide of Jan Oblak's goal.
Quique Setien's steely Betis side enjoyed the better of first-half possession and successfully kept the ball away from Antoine Griezmann and Kalinic, despite failing to create many chances of their own.
Koke's incisive long pass put Griezmann in for Atletico's first shot on target that Pau Lopez saved early in the second half, and moments later the France international teed up Kalinic, who thumped a low shot against the post from the edge of the box.
Atletico found some momentum and Lopez almost spilled Rodrigo's raking drive before Griezmann again played in Kalinic, whose first-time shot from 10 yards out was saved by Lopez, diving down to his left.
Simeone's personnel changes made the difference in the 74th minute when Correa combined with fellow substitute Thomas Partey to pull Betis apart and drive the winning goal into the bottom left corner of the net from 20 yards.
Angel Correa scored his second league goal of the season to help Atletico Madrid to a hard-fought 1-0 win over Real Betis that moved Diego Simeone's men to the top of LaLiga.The two sides went into the game with the same amount of points but Diego Simeone's strikers struggled for long periods as Betis left them little room to manoeuvre.
Nikola Kalinic made his first LaLiga start for Atletico following his €15m transfer from AC Milan and he hit the post as the hosts probed for a second-half winner.
Substitute Correa turned the game through sheer determination, winning possession before driving home a winning goal.Loren Moron had the chance to give the visitors an early lead when he broke through the middle of the Atleti defence but he dragged a low drive well wide of Jan Oblak's goal.
Quique Setien's steely Betis side enjoyed the better of first-half possession and successfully kept the ball away from Antoine Griezmann and Kalinic, despite failing to create many chances of their own.
Koke's incisive long pass put Griezmann in for Atletico's first shot on target that Pau Lopez saved early in the second half, and moments later the France international teed up Kalinic, who thumped a low shot against the post from the edge of the box.
Atletico found some momentum and Lopez almost spilled Rodrigo's raking drive before Griezmann again played in Kalinic, whose first-time shot from 10 yards out was saved by Lopez, diving down to his left.
Simeone's personnel changes made the difference in the 74th minute when Correa combined with fellow substitute Thomas Partey to pull Betis apart and drive the winning goal into the bottom left corner of the net from 20 yards.
Mata admits Man Utd fans 'don't deserve everything that is going on'Juan Mata admits Manchester United supporters “don’t deserve everything that is going on”, with the Red Devils having to fend off reports of unrest and questioning of Jose Mourinho’s future.
Off-field events have proved to be a distraction at Old Trafford throughout the 2018-19 campaign, with a frustrating summer transfer window having set the tone at the Theatre of Dreams.
Paul Pogba has seen his working relationship with Mourinho dominate the headlines, while club captain Antonio Valencia is currently paying the price for liking a social media post calling for his manager’s head.
The man at the United helm has earned a stay of execution on the back of a thrilling 3-2 victory over Newcastle, with battling qualities that have been in short supply helping to secure a much-needed win.
Mata was on target during a dramatic date with the Magpies on Saturday and admits that a loyal fan base deserve better than they have been served up this term, telling MUTV: “Definitely, they pushed us, they helped us, to go more, to try more, to give this 50 minutes more and I'm very happy for them.“I'm very happy for the team, for us, but especially for the fans. They don't deserve everything that is going on, so they deserve to see a team like today.”
Mata added on a stunning fight back which saw United recover from two goals down to edge out Newcastle: “It was special. We were losing 2-0, they created even more chances to score more goals and confidence levels were low. We needed to change something and when you have nothing to lose you just throw it and you push even more.
“We couldn't afford another defeat, especially for the fans. I think they saw today that we tried everything and we came back and from the mental point of view it was a very important three points.”
Mata’s free-kick offered United a lifeline in their hour of need, with Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez also proving to be unlikely heroes on the back of recent struggles under Mourinho.
“We felt that if we scored it was not impossible, especially at Old Trafford,” said Mata.“If you score once you can score a few goals in some minutes; I've seen Manchester United doing that a lot of times over the years and today we did it. Even though it felt very difficult we did it.
“We created more chances to score more goals and that's a very positive sign. I will say that today the victory is a pride victory. I felt that on the pitch, I did not want to feel another sadness feeling, another disappointment feeling.”
Arsenal 'need to continue improving' - Emery plays down title chances after Fulham victory
Arsenal boss Unai Emery has cast doubt on his side mounting a challenge for the Premier League title, despite seeing his side thrash Fulham 5-1 at Craven Cottage.
Doubles from Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, along with a stunning goal from Aaron Ramsey, saw the Gunners cruise to a ninth successive win in all competitions on Sunday.Their victory moved them into the top four, but Emery insisted that his team must continue to prove their winning mentality in the coming fixtures.
"When we lost the first two matches against Manchester City and Chelsea, we were calm," Emery told a news conference when asked to comment on Arsenal's title chances.
"When we are winning now, I think we need to be in the same way in our mentality. We are going up in the table little by little, giving us a better position for our objective.
"I am just thinking about the next match at the Emirates, with our supporters. I want to show them we are improving with our quality, with our mentality and, above all, with the commitment we had here."We are happy. We need to feel together, inside with the club and with the players.
"[We need to] be calm, enjoy working, stay together, but improve individually and collectively and find our best performance in each match with combinations from the players."Because we need to continue to improve and we can."
Lucas Torreira has quickly become a key figure in Arsenal's midfield under their new manager, and Emery singled out the former Sampdoria playmaker for individual praise."He is very young. This is his first experience at this level but he was playing in Italy and with his national team," Emery said.
"Here, he is doing very well. The first impressive thing is his humility every day. He wants to listen, to learn."He played in the middle, on the right and his performance is the same. His career is starting and we want him to give us his best performance and his quality."Arsenal return to action after the international break in just over a fortnight when they host Leicester City on October 22.
Arsenal boss Unai Emery has cast doubt on his side mounting a challenge for the Premier League title, despite seeing his side thrash Fulham 5-1 at Craven Cottage.
Doubles from Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, along with a stunning goal from Aaron Ramsey, saw the Gunners cruise to a ninth successive win in all competitions on Sunday.Their victory moved them into the top four, but Emery insisted that his team must continue to prove their winning mentality in the coming fixtures.
"When we lost the first two matches against Manchester City and Chelsea, we were calm," Emery told a news conference when asked to comment on Arsenal's title chances.
"When we are winning now, I think we need to be in the same way in our mentality. We are going up in the table little by little, giving us a better position for our objective.
"I am just thinking about the next match at the Emirates, with our supporters. I want to show them we are improving with our quality, with our mentality and, above all, with the commitment we had here."We are happy. We need to feel together, inside with the club and with the players.
"[We need to] be calm, enjoy working, stay together, but improve individually and collectively and find our best performance in each match with combinations from the players."Because we need to continue to improve and we can."
Lucas Torreira has quickly become a key figure in Arsenal's midfield under their new manager, and Emery singled out the former Sampdoria playmaker for individual praise."He is very young. This is his first experience at this level but he was playing in Italy and with his national team," Emery said.
"Here, he is doing very well. The first impressive thing is his humility every day. He wants to listen, to learn."He played in the middle, on the right and his performance is the same. His career is starting and we want him to give us his best performance and his quality."Arsenal return to action after the international break in just over a fortnight when they host Leicester City on October 22.
Jesus not happy Guardiola picked Mahrez to take penalty
Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus said he was not happy with Pep Guardiola's decision not to allow him to take the late penalty against Premier League rivals Liverpool.
City manager Guardiola prevented Jesus from taking the 86th-minute spot-kick, instead opting for club-record signing Riyad Mahrez.The Algerian star fired his effort over the bar, squandering Manchester City's best chance at three points as the champions drew 0-0 at Anfield on Sunday.
Guardiola apologised to Jesus afterwards and the 21-year-old Brazil international insisted he felt confident to take the penalty."Obviously I'm not that happy," he told reporters. "As Riyad, I've been practicing [penalties].
"I would like to have taken it. I was confident, so I was not happy that they did not allow me. However, it was important that we didn't lose. Pep spoke with me."This is part of football, sometimes these things happen. I will support Riyad if the manager chooses him again."
Jesus has struggled for form since the World Cup, having scored just once in the Premier League this season – against Huddersfield Town in August.Sergio Aguero would be seen as Man City's primary penalty taker, but the Argentinian was taken off in favor of Jesus in the second half of Sunday's match.
Defender John Stones said Mahrez was "deflated" after the miss while adding that he too had full confidence in the former Leicester City attacker if he were to step up again.
The man who conceded the penalty, Virgil van Dijk, was left relieved by Mahrez's miss, which keeps Liverpool and Man City tied atop the league.
Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus said he was not happy with Pep Guardiola's decision not to allow him to take the late penalty against Premier League rivals Liverpool.
City manager Guardiola prevented Jesus from taking the 86th-minute spot-kick, instead opting for club-record signing Riyad Mahrez.The Algerian star fired his effort over the bar, squandering Manchester City's best chance at three points as the champions drew 0-0 at Anfield on Sunday.
Guardiola apologised to Jesus afterwards and the 21-year-old Brazil international insisted he felt confident to take the penalty."Obviously I'm not that happy," he told reporters. "As Riyad, I've been practicing [penalties].
"I would like to have taken it. I was confident, so I was not happy that they did not allow me. However, it was important that we didn't lose. Pep spoke with me."This is part of football, sometimes these things happen. I will support Riyad if the manager chooses him again."
Jesus has struggled for form since the World Cup, having scored just once in the Premier League this season – against Huddersfield Town in August.Sergio Aguero would be seen as Man City's primary penalty taker, but the Argentinian was taken off in favor of Jesus in the second half of Sunday's match.
Defender John Stones said Mahrez was "deflated" after the miss while adding that he too had full confidence in the former Leicester City attacker if he were to step up again.
The man who conceded the penalty, Virgil van Dijk, was left relieved by Mahrez's miss, which keeps Liverpool and Man City tied atop the league.
Benzema a Clasico doubt after Real Madrid confirm hamstring injury
Karim Benzema is facing a fitness battle for Real Madrid's first Clasico of the season against Barcelona after Los Blancos confirmed the striker has injured his right hamstring.The Frenchman was replaced at half-time of Saturday's shock 1-0 defeat to Deportivo Alaves, which saw Madrid rack up a fourth straight match without a goal in all competitions.
Madrid coach Julen Lopetegui confirmed after the game that both Benzema and Gareth Bale suffered injuries as his side's winless run extended to four matches.
No timescale has been put on a return for Benzema, but early reports suggest he will be absent for two weeks.Madrid travel to Camp Nou to face Barca on October 28, which would leave little time for Benzema to prove his fitness.The striker has four goals this La Liga campaign, nearly matching his entire haul from the previous season, when he scored just five times in the league.
However, all four of those tallies came when he scored a pair of braces against Girona and Leganes in his club's second and third matches of the La Liga season, respecitvely.
Benzema has not been able to find the back of the net since, his fortunes falling in line with the rest of his team-mates who have not scored since a 1-0 win over Espanyol on September 22.
The striker did receive some good news on Monday however, as he was among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or, with Benzema's team-mate, Luka Modric, the likely favourite for the award.
Karim Benzema is facing a fitness battle for Real Madrid's first Clasico of the season against Barcelona after Los Blancos confirmed the striker has injured his right hamstring.The Frenchman was replaced at half-time of Saturday's shock 1-0 defeat to Deportivo Alaves, which saw Madrid rack up a fourth straight match without a goal in all competitions.
Madrid coach Julen Lopetegui confirmed after the game that both Benzema and Gareth Bale suffered injuries as his side's winless run extended to four matches.
No timescale has been put on a return for Benzema, but early reports suggest he will be absent for two weeks.Madrid travel to Camp Nou to face Barca on October 28, which would leave little time for Benzema to prove his fitness.The striker has four goals this La Liga campaign, nearly matching his entire haul from the previous season, when he scored just five times in the league.
However, all four of those tallies came when he scored a pair of braces against Girona and Leganes in his club's second and third matches of the La Liga season, respecitvely.
Benzema has not been able to find the back of the net since, his fortunes falling in line with the rest of his team-mates who have not scored since a 1-0 win over Espanyol on September 22.
The striker did receive some good news on Monday however, as he was among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or, with Benzema's team-mate, Luka Modric, the likely favourite for the award.
I want to win something for Sarri this season, says Hazard
Eden Hazard wants to repay Maurizio Sarri for helping him find his goalscoring touch this season by helping his manager achieve his first major honour in professional football.
The 27-year-old's strike in the 3-0 win away at Southampton was his eighth of the season and it has sent his side into second in the Premier League, just below Manchester City on goal difference.
It is clear that Sarri has helped Hazard reach a new level, allowing him to play with more freedom and in a team that dominates possession. However, Hazard admitted that he is still unsure about whether to renew his contract at Chelsea amid dreams of a Real Madrid move.
After opening up about his future, Hazard was keen to reassure fans that he will give his all to earn Sarri a trophy this season.
"I think he is a great manager," Hazard said at St Mary's Stadium. "When you play football, you want to play for these kinds of managers because the way he wants us to play is the way that I want to play. So I am just thinking about this season.
"I want to win something with him and then we will think about what happens at the end of the season but now, in my head, it is just play and enjoy football then try to win the games. I think every year it is the same. When teams play against Chelsea, they are a bit scared because we have great players.
"It is like when you play Liverpool or Man City. This is a big team. For them, it is hard. We need to be focused though because in the Premier League you can lose a game. We drew against West Ham. Today we won 3-0 in the end but we could have conceded a goal in the first half.
"So you need to be aware of this. That's the manager. You know, the manager is always saying you need to be focused. No mistakes at the back. Then when we have a chance, we need to score and kill the game."
Hazard's form this season sees him top of the Premier League's goalscoring charts, having scored the same amount of goals as team-mates Olivier Giroud, Alvaro Morata, Pedro and Willian combined in all competitions.
Sarri has challenged Hazard to aim to score 40 goals, which the 27-year-old thinks might be a tough total to reach, with 19 strikes being his current best in west London.
"40 is hard, it is hard to reach 40," Hazard added. "I think it is possible but it is not in my mind. At the moment, I am just shooting and scoring goals. I don't think so [that I am shooting more] but when you score goals, you want to score even more goals.
"I try to shoot but I think at the end of the game I could have shot two or three times more, but chose to pass to Alvaro. I think I just try to do the right thing.When I can shoot, I shoot. When I can pass, I pass. That's what I am trying to do.
"It's true [that Sarri] wants me to defend and then to be ready when I get the ball.So we try to move the ball, then when my team-mates see me free, they try to find good passes and that's what we are doing at the moment."
Sarri has boosted Chelsea's hopes in renewing their contract with Hazard by taking steps to give his club the best possible chance of convincing the Belgium international.
The club's director Marina Granovskaia will be the one to negotiate on behalf of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, but it is clear that Sarri's appointment has increased Hazard's happiness at the club. Hazard says that Sarri wants him to enjoy, although he was careful not to criticise his former managers in the process.
"I had freedom with all of them on the pitch," Hazard said of his former managers Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho. "No, that's the truth. It is just that when you are winning games, it is easy to say that the manager is giving us freedom.
"If tomorrow we are losing games then the speech will be different. At the moment we are winning games so, of course, I can score goals and the manager is part of that, for sure. He is very good. He talks a lot with the players. He jokes a lot.
"When you see him, maybe you think he is a bit focused on the game but he can make some jokes. I think we need that. He is a funny guy but he likes to work.When it is time to enjoy, then he wants us to enjoy. When he is talking about football, the first thing he says is let's make you enjoy. That's good."
Hazard is now set to captain the Belgium national team before coming back to London to prepare for a Premier League match against Manchester United.
Eden Hazard wants to repay Maurizio Sarri for helping him find his goalscoring touch this season by helping his manager achieve his first major honour in professional football.
The 27-year-old's strike in the 3-0 win away at Southampton was his eighth of the season and it has sent his side into second in the Premier League, just below Manchester City on goal difference.
It is clear that Sarri has helped Hazard reach a new level, allowing him to play with more freedom and in a team that dominates possession. However, Hazard admitted that he is still unsure about whether to renew his contract at Chelsea amid dreams of a Real Madrid move.
After opening up about his future, Hazard was keen to reassure fans that he will give his all to earn Sarri a trophy this season.
"I think he is a great manager," Hazard said at St Mary's Stadium. "When you play football, you want to play for these kinds of managers because the way he wants us to play is the way that I want to play. So I am just thinking about this season.
"I want to win something with him and then we will think about what happens at the end of the season but now, in my head, it is just play and enjoy football then try to win the games. I think every year it is the same. When teams play against Chelsea, they are a bit scared because we have great players.
"It is like when you play Liverpool or Man City. This is a big team. For them, it is hard. We need to be focused though because in the Premier League you can lose a game. We drew against West Ham. Today we won 3-0 in the end but we could have conceded a goal in the first half.
"So you need to be aware of this. That's the manager. You know, the manager is always saying you need to be focused. No mistakes at the back. Then when we have a chance, we need to score and kill the game."
Hazard's form this season sees him top of the Premier League's goalscoring charts, having scored the same amount of goals as team-mates Olivier Giroud, Alvaro Morata, Pedro and Willian combined in all competitions.
Sarri has challenged Hazard to aim to score 40 goals, which the 27-year-old thinks might be a tough total to reach, with 19 strikes being his current best in west London.
"40 is hard, it is hard to reach 40," Hazard added. "I think it is possible but it is not in my mind. At the moment, I am just shooting and scoring goals. I don't think so [that I am shooting more] but when you score goals, you want to score even more goals.
"I try to shoot but I think at the end of the game I could have shot two or three times more, but chose to pass to Alvaro. I think I just try to do the right thing.When I can shoot, I shoot. When I can pass, I pass. That's what I am trying to do.
"It's true [that Sarri] wants me to defend and then to be ready when I get the ball.So we try to move the ball, then when my team-mates see me free, they try to find good passes and that's what we are doing at the moment."
Sarri has boosted Chelsea's hopes in renewing their contract with Hazard by taking steps to give his club the best possible chance of convincing the Belgium international.
The club's director Marina Granovskaia will be the one to negotiate on behalf of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, but it is clear that Sarri's appointment has increased Hazard's happiness at the club. Hazard says that Sarri wants him to enjoy, although he was careful not to criticise his former managers in the process.
"I had freedom with all of them on the pitch," Hazard said of his former managers Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho. "No, that's the truth. It is just that when you are winning games, it is easy to say that the manager is giving us freedom.
"If tomorrow we are losing games then the speech will be different. At the moment we are winning games so, of course, I can score goals and the manager is part of that, for sure. He is very good. He talks a lot with the players. He jokes a lot.
"When you see him, maybe you think he is a bit focused on the game but he can make some jokes. I think we need that. He is a funny guy but he likes to work.When it is time to enjoy, then he wants us to enjoy. When he is talking about football, the first thing he says is let's make you enjoy. That's good."
Hazard is now set to captain the Belgium national team before coming back to London to prepare for a Premier League match against Manchester United.
'La Liga is slipping away' – Real Madrid insider reveals El Clasico could decide Lopetegui's fate
On Saturday, after losing late on to Deportivo Alaves at Estadio de Mendizorroza, Sergio Ramos sought to lessen the inevitable cacophony of crisis claims surrounding a Real Madrid side who are now without a win – or even a goal – in four games across all competitions.
The Blancos' captain put to the press that the club were only three points off the top spot, meaning he assumed Barcelona would seal all three points on Sunday against Valencia. An oddly assured comment coming from one of the Blaugrana's biggest historical rivals.
Barca themselves, however, are now without a win in four Liga matches, having drawn at Mestalla, meaning Sevilla were allowed to climb to the top of the table as Madrid slipped down to fourth, one point behind their cross-town nemeses Atletico.
Ramos, of course, as Real's captain, could be forgiven for trying to find positives by highlighting the minimal point gap in his post-match platitudes, but the truth is that the feeling at the Santiago Bernabeu is anything but positive – even with Barcelona's dip in form taking the edge off.
Julen Lopetegui is putting on a brave face too, claiming that Madrid's 'objectives remain intact in Spain and Europe', but an inside source at the club revealed to Goal that the mood is far from calm in the Blancos camp.“We are letting La Liga slip away,” the source said, “We have to improve a lot.”
Lopetegui's citing of statistics, injuries and misfortunes that have befallen Madrid does little to explain the goal drought and lack of victories in the last four matches. Indeed, the Spanish capital side have not failed to score in four consecutive games since 1985.
A resounding crash in form since the 3-0 Champions League victory over Roma and breaking negative records set more than three decades ago has put the former Spain boss' future into doubt.It's also worth remembering that the 52-year-old started his competitive tenure with a disappointing defeat to Atleti in the UEFA Super Cup.
Meanwhile, the players have positioned themselves on Lopetegui's side, publicly giving him their support. Raphael Varane said that they are 'delighted' with their coach, and Ramos himself said it would be 'madness' to give him the sack.
In addition, Isco, Nacho and Toni Kroos have all taken to social media to voice their belief that they can turn around their poor form. What else can they do if their wish is for the boss to remain in charge?
Their only real option, however, is radically improved results results with immediate effect. There are big games coming up and El Clasico is just around the corner – October 28, to be precise.
It's a date that is marked in red in the calendars of all Madridistas. Especially Lopetegui's bosses.
On Saturday, after losing late on to Deportivo Alaves at Estadio de Mendizorroza, Sergio Ramos sought to lessen the inevitable cacophony of crisis claims surrounding a Real Madrid side who are now without a win – or even a goal – in four games across all competitions.
The Blancos' captain put to the press that the club were only three points off the top spot, meaning he assumed Barcelona would seal all three points on Sunday against Valencia. An oddly assured comment coming from one of the Blaugrana's biggest historical rivals.
Barca themselves, however, are now without a win in four Liga matches, having drawn at Mestalla, meaning Sevilla were allowed to climb to the top of the table as Madrid slipped down to fourth, one point behind their cross-town nemeses Atletico.
Ramos, of course, as Real's captain, could be forgiven for trying to find positives by highlighting the minimal point gap in his post-match platitudes, but the truth is that the feeling at the Santiago Bernabeu is anything but positive – even with Barcelona's dip in form taking the edge off.
Julen Lopetegui is putting on a brave face too, claiming that Madrid's 'objectives remain intact in Spain and Europe', but an inside source at the club revealed to Goal that the mood is far from calm in the Blancos camp.“We are letting La Liga slip away,” the source said, “We have to improve a lot.”
Lopetegui's citing of statistics, injuries and misfortunes that have befallen Madrid does little to explain the goal drought and lack of victories in the last four matches. Indeed, the Spanish capital side have not failed to score in four consecutive games since 1985.
A resounding crash in form since the 3-0 Champions League victory over Roma and breaking negative records set more than three decades ago has put the former Spain boss' future into doubt.It's also worth remembering that the 52-year-old started his competitive tenure with a disappointing defeat to Atleti in the UEFA Super Cup.
Meanwhile, the players have positioned themselves on Lopetegui's side, publicly giving him their support. Raphael Varane said that they are 'delighted' with their coach, and Ramos himself said it would be 'madness' to give him the sack.
In addition, Isco, Nacho and Toni Kroos have all taken to social media to voice their belief that they can turn around their poor form. What else can they do if their wish is for the boss to remain in charge?
Their only real option, however, is radically improved results results with immediate effect. There are big games coming up and El Clasico is just around the corner – October 28, to be precise.
It's a date that is marked in red in the calendars of all Madridistas. Especially Lopetegui's bosses.
Modric, Messi & Ronaldo among Ballon d’Or 30-man nominee list
Luka Modric, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or , with the Croatia star looking to end the domination the latter pair have had on the award. The nominees for the award are selected by France Football, while the voting is done by group of international journalists with no more than one per country.
Modric, coming off a year which saw him win the Champions League with Real Madrid and lead Croatia to the World Cup final, is seen as a strong possibility to break the hold Messi and Ronaldo have on the award.
The pair have won every Ballon d’Or since 2007, when Brazil legend Kaka won it while featuring for Milan. Messi and Ronaldo have each won five over that decade, and have been so dominant in the voting that only other person has finished second over that span – Andres Iniesta in 2010.However, Modric won UEFA’s Player of the Year and FIFA’s the Best award, and is arguably the favourite heading in.
Mohamed Salah, who was also nominated for UEFA Player of the Year and The Best awards, also made the list after his record-breaking season with Liverpool.
He’s joined by a trio of his Liverpool team-mates – Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Alisson Becker.
Modric has plenty of company from Real Madrid among the nominees, with Sergio Ramos, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Isco and Los Blancos newcomer Thibaut Courtois picked for the shortlist.
Kylian Mbappe, who is favourite for the Kopa Trophy for the best player under the age of 21, also made the list. Premier League record-breakers Manchester City are also well represented, with Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne among those selected.
Tottenham and England star Harry Kane makes the list after his Golden Boot award in the World Cup, while World Cup winner N’Golo Kante and his Chelsea team-mate Eden Hazard also snagged nominations.
Other nominees include Uruguay strike duo Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, Antione Griezmann, Paul Pogba and Jan Oblak.
Luka Modric, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or , with the Croatia star looking to end the domination the latter pair have had on the award. The nominees for the award are selected by France Football, while the voting is done by group of international journalists with no more than one per country.
Modric, coming off a year which saw him win the Champions League with Real Madrid and lead Croatia to the World Cup final, is seen as a strong possibility to break the hold Messi and Ronaldo have on the award.
The pair have won every Ballon d’Or since 2007, when Brazil legend Kaka won it while featuring for Milan. Messi and Ronaldo have each won five over that decade, and have been so dominant in the voting that only other person has finished second over that span – Andres Iniesta in 2010.However, Modric won UEFA’s Player of the Year and FIFA’s the Best award, and is arguably the favourite heading in.
Mohamed Salah, who was also nominated for UEFA Player of the Year and The Best awards, also made the list after his record-breaking season with Liverpool.
He’s joined by a trio of his Liverpool team-mates – Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Alisson Becker.
Modric has plenty of company from Real Madrid among the nominees, with Sergio Ramos, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Isco and Los Blancos newcomer Thibaut Courtois picked for the shortlist.
Kylian Mbappe, who is favourite for the Kopa Trophy for the best player under the age of 21, also made the list. Premier League record-breakers Manchester City are also well represented, with Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne among those selected.
Tottenham and England star Harry Kane makes the list after his Golden Boot award in the World Cup, while World Cup winner N’Golo Kante and his Chelsea team-mate Eden Hazard also snagged nominations.
Other nominees include Uruguay strike duo Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, Antione Griezmann, Paul Pogba and Jan Oblak.
Mourinho to face FA investigation for swearing in Portuguese after Newcastle comeback
Jose Mourinho is facing a Football Association (FA) investigation over comments he allegedly made on the touchline following Manchester United's dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Newcastle United.
Television cameras captured the Portuguese coach muttering what are reported to have been profanities in his native tongue as he headed for the tunnel following his side's second-half turnaround, which saw them fight back from 2-0 down to take all three points.The FA confirmed on Monday that Mourinho will be investigated over the incident.
Mourinho, appointed United manager in May 2016, had been the subject of intense speculation in the build-up to the game with one UK newspaper reporting he faced the sack regardless of the result.
Second-half goals from Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez ensured United avoided a fourth Premier League loss of the season and Mourinho spoke afterwards about the effect of "the pressure of man-hunting" on his players.The Old Trafford boss said: "As a friend of mine was saying to me this morning: if tomorrow it is raining in London it is my fault.
"If there is some difficulty to have the agreement of Brexit, it is my fault. And I have to be ready for this."I think a lot of wickedness and a clear man-hunting which I think in football is too much.
"It is a life I love, it is the life I worked for since I was a kid and I will love this until my last day. It is one more thing in my life."Former Utd defender Rio Ferdinand took issue with the manager's comments, however, stating: "I don’t know where ‘wickedness’ and ‘manhunt’ come from.
"Because if you see something on the football pitch, you talk about it. He’s the Manchester United manager. Man United’s manager doesn’t go unnoticed - win, lose or draw. There’s going to be scrutiny.
"You say what you see, you can’t expect anything different. And to sit and moan and [say] ‘oh they’re hunting me’ and ‘it’s wickedness’ … I find it laughable."The visit of Newcastle followed a run of four games without a win in all competitions for the Red Devils, who suffered defeats to West Ham in the Premier League and Derby County in the EFL Cup during that spell.
United's next game sees them face Mourinho's former club Chelsea in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on October 20.
Jose Mourinho is facing a Football Association (FA) investigation over comments he allegedly made on the touchline following Manchester United's dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Newcastle United.
Television cameras captured the Portuguese coach muttering what are reported to have been profanities in his native tongue as he headed for the tunnel following his side's second-half turnaround, which saw them fight back from 2-0 down to take all three points.The FA confirmed on Monday that Mourinho will be investigated over the incident.
Mourinho, appointed United manager in May 2016, had been the subject of intense speculation in the build-up to the game with one UK newspaper reporting he faced the sack regardless of the result.
Second-half goals from Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez ensured United avoided a fourth Premier League loss of the season and Mourinho spoke afterwards about the effect of "the pressure of man-hunting" on his players.The Old Trafford boss said: "As a friend of mine was saying to me this morning: if tomorrow it is raining in London it is my fault.
"If there is some difficulty to have the agreement of Brexit, it is my fault. And I have to be ready for this."I think a lot of wickedness and a clear man-hunting which I think in football is too much.
"It is a life I love, it is the life I worked for since I was a kid and I will love this until my last day. It is one more thing in my life."Former Utd defender Rio Ferdinand took issue with the manager's comments, however, stating: "I don’t know where ‘wickedness’ and ‘manhunt’ come from.
"Because if you see something on the football pitch, you talk about it. He’s the Manchester United manager. Man United’s manager doesn’t go unnoticed - win, lose or draw. There’s going to be scrutiny.
"You say what you see, you can’t expect anything different. And to sit and moan and [say] ‘oh they’re hunting me’ and ‘it’s wickedness’ … I find it laughable."The visit of Newcastle followed a run of four games without a win in all competitions for the Red Devils, who suffered defeats to West Ham in the Premier League and Derby County in the EFL Cup during that spell.
United's next game sees them face Mourinho's former club Chelsea in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on October 20.
Mbappe is a 'phenomenon', says Draxler
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Julian Draxler lauded Kylian Mbappe, hailing his team-mate as "phenomenon".Mbappe, 19, has already struck 10 times in seven games this season, including netting four against Lyon in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
Draxler, who has only started three Ligue 1 games this campaign, talked up Mbappe's incredible speed."In my opinion, you don't have to say more about this boy. He is a phenomenon," the Germany international said on Tuesday.
"He's got so much speed and I guess there are not many players with speed like this in world football."He's so dangerous in front of goal and I guess everybody's glad that he is part of our team."
Asked what he could learn from Mbappe, Draxler said: "I wished I would be as fast as he is, but I'm not."
PSG have made a record-breaking start to the Ligue 1 season, winning nine straight games to hold an eight-point lead at the top.
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Julian Draxler lauded Kylian Mbappe, hailing his team-mate as "phenomenon".Mbappe, 19, has already struck 10 times in seven games this season, including netting four against Lyon in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
Draxler, who has only started three Ligue 1 games this campaign, talked up Mbappe's incredible speed."In my opinion, you don't have to say more about this boy. He is a phenomenon," the Germany international said on Tuesday.
"He's got so much speed and I guess there are not many players with speed like this in world football."He's so dangerous in front of goal and I guess everybody's glad that he is part of our team."
Asked what he could learn from Mbappe, Draxler said: "I wished I would be as fast as he is, but I'm not."
PSG have made a record-breaking start to the Ligue 1 season, winning nine straight games to hold an eight-point lead at the top.
