The Chelsea star has held off competition from Bournemouth’s Ryan Fraser to top the league’s creative chart for the 2018-19 season.
Chelsea forward Eden Hazard has won the Premier League’s Playmaker Award after the Belgium star finished one assist ahead of Ryan Fraser.
Hazard – who came off the substitutes’ bench in his side’s 0-0 draw with Leicester City on Sunday – has been given the award for his 15 Premier League assists this season.
That total put him one ahead of Bournemouth’s Ryan Fraser, who did not assist on any of Bournemouth’s three goals in the Cherries’ 5-3 loss to Crystal Palace.
Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen and Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold finished in a tie for third with 12 assists each – the latter’s effort a record for a defender in the Premier League era.
Hazard has been heavily linked with a move to La Liga giants Real Madrid during the off-season after another glittering campaign for the Blues, which also saw him score 16 goals in the Premier League.
He bagged three more goals in the Carabao Cup, as well as adding a solitary assist in the club’s Europa League campaign.
That assist might have been his biggest of the season, as it was on the only goal Chelsea scored in a 1-1 second leg draw with Eintracht Frankfurt in the competition’s semi-final, which the Blues would go on to win on penalties.
Hazard himself took the clinching spot-kick, which sent them to final in Baku.
Last week, the Belgian star helped seal Chelsea’s place in next year’s Champions League, as his two assists in a 3-0 victory over Watford allowed the Blues to clinch a top-four place in the Premier League.
However, with Hazard’s contract set to expire in June 2020, and his previous statements about wishing to join Madrid, the star man may not be long for Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri admitted as much post-match, saying while he hopes Hazard chooses to remain with the Blues, it was on the club to respect whatever final decision the attacker makes.
The point against Leicester confirmed third place in the Premier League for Sarri’s side, who must now travel to the United States to face the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer in a friendly meant to promote awareness against anti-semitism and discrimination.
Following that friendly, Chelsea will turn their attention to the Europa League final against local rivals Arsenal as the Blues look to close out their season with silverware.
