Hazard unhappy with current form, stresses need for team-first mentality

Chelsea star Eden Hazard isn't concerning himself too much with what stats say about his season, declaring his team's overall performance more important than his own individual accomplishments.

The Belgian winger has improved on his numerical output on shots, goals, and assists in 2018 compared to last year, but Chelsea, now fifth in the Premier League table and a full 10 points behind Tottenham, has struggled for form in the second stanza of the season.

The 27-year-old hasn't had a hand in a goal in his last six matches, but Hazard isn't defending his performances, either. When asked by Sky Sports if he was happy with his current run of form, Hazard answered, "For the last two months, no, because the results are not good.

"I don't play football just for me, I play for the team. If I play good, but we are not winning, I am not happy. That's it."

"It's better for me to play very bad and at the end of the game we win 1-0. I don't like stats, I play for a long time, so I am on the pitch to enjoy," he said.

"If I can score, I score. If I can assist, I assist. But I just want to be happy on the pitch, and when you are winning you are happy, and when you are not winning you are not happy."

Chelsea hasn't exactly enjoyed much success in these last few weeks, with a 1-1 draw against West Ham the latest setback to Antonio Conte's top-four bid. Losses to Tottenham and Manchester City sandwiched a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace, but elimination at the hands of Barcelona in the Champions League served as yet another blow to the team's morale.

As a result, the Blues are at risk of missing out on Europe's premier continental competition next season, a prospect Hazard doesn't relish.

"I think it's not good, because you want to play Champions League every year," Hazard said. "So we try to give everything to play the best way we can to finish in the top four. Like I say before, if we are not in the top four, we will play next year for the Premier League, that's it."