Has Eden Hazard escaped Ander Herrera’s pocket yet?That’s the joke Manchester United fans are still making following the Spaniard’s expert man-marking job on Hazard in the Red Devils’ 2-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday.The Belgian didn’t complete a single take-on in 90 minutes. Jose Mourinho made it his mission to stifle Hazard and his game plan worked to perfection.Herrera might just have provided the blueprint for shackling Hazard, who has returned to his very best form this season. Former Chelsea player Pat Nevin believes the Chelsea forward must find a way to cope with man-marking, or else opposing teams will continue to stick a midfielder on him.“One of the notable aspects of the game at the weekend was that even though the likes of Eden Hazard was fouled as regularly as he was in the recent home game when we beat United in the Cup, he didn’t get nearly as many of those fouls given,” Nevin wrote in his column for Chelsea’s website.“That is what happens away from home and in simple terms, the top creative players have to deal with it and find answers themselves.“It may be changing your position, you’re starting area or taking your marker to where he doesn’t want to be – wildly out of his comfort zone.”
Neville analyses Herrera's job on Hazard
Gary Neville, speaking on Monday Night Football, believes Hazard made Herrera’s job easy by not moving into different positions.
"I've got loads of time for him, a great player," Neville said, per Sky Sports.
"I always think that maybe he needs to go that step further. Is he a little bit timid to be what would be a real selfish and horrible best player in the world? A Cristiano or Messi type that really has that drive and determination.
"Against Manchester United I thought he accepted things too easily. He made it easy for Herrera far too often."
Neville: Hazard was naive
Neville added: "He showed a lack of maturity and a little bit of naivety.
"He almost thought 'this is really difficult, he's man-marking me' and accepted it. He didn't go and do something different."
"Hazard fell short in his understanding of playing against the man-marker. He needed to play high and wide or high and through the middle - and next time he might.”
Hopefully Hazard will learn from Sunday’s match, for this won’t be the last time team’s try to mark him out of the game.