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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp saw firsthand what Eden Hazard could do in the Carabao Cup third round clash at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Liverpool were heading for a winner before the second-half introduction of Eden Hazard, but the Belgian crossed in from a set-piece from which Emerson Palmieri scored the equaliser.
With the game looking like it was going to end in a penalty shootout, Hazard performed his magic as he scored a wonder goal to seal Chelsea’s victory. Hazard took the ball from wide and jinxed past a number of Liverpool defenders before blasting a shot that was beyond Mignolet’s reach. His 85th minute goal sealed Chelsea’s passage to the Carabao Cup fourth round ahead of Liverpool who had won all their games prior to that clash.
While Chelsea’s perfect start to the season was cut short by West Ham, Liverpool are still enjoying a perfect start to the league season, but will have to face Hazard again as Chelsea host the Reds in a Premier League clash on Saturday.
Klopp is wary of Hazard’s threat, and he has revealed that the Chelsea superstar can be stopped.
He said: “Stop passes to him? Good idea? Being close? Good idea, but he likes players being close sometimes.
“We all know we could have stopped that goal but he used that situation. No player is not defendable.
“We have to close the right spaces. I know exactly how good he is. He’s a special player and he enjoys these one vs one situations.
“I didn’t need that game to find out about that.”