Mourinho hails Hazard after Chelsea win

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho praised Eden Hazard after the Belgian’s match-winning display against Swansea.

Hazard’s first-half goal gave the Blues a 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge, where he was a constant threat to the visiting defence.

And his defensive work particularly pleased Mourinho, who decided to take him off late on.

Mourinho, who felt Chelsea should have been awarded a second-half penalty for a foul on Hazard, said: “I am happy. The kid gave everything and his last action in the game was defending our box and the progression of their left-back.

“When he came off he was exhausted so I felt that at that stage of the match I needed to put on some fresh legs.”

Once again Chelsea had enough chances to have won by a more comfortable margin.

But Mourinho insisted that on this occasion credit should simply go to Gerhard Tremmel, who produced a number of saves.

The Swans keeper denied Samuel Eto’o in the first half and did so again within seconds of the start of the second period.

“At half-time we should all have been relaxed with a comfortable result and the first thing that happened in the second half was probably the biggest chance of the game,” said Mourinho.

“After that was a clear penalty and the goalkeeper then made another fantastic save. As time goes on and you don’t score a second goal you feel your opponent now believes and in that moment you are in trouble.

“But the boys worked hard and looked in control of the game. It was a deserved victory and today I can say that the biggest reason for the lack of goals was that their keeper played well.

“We didn’t miss, the keeper made fantastic saves. The [first] save from Eto’o was brilliant and the one in the first minute of the second half was the same.”

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