Eden Hazard has been recalling the Battle of the Bridge, the game which ended Tottenham Hotspur’s title hopes and handed Leicester City the 2016 Premier League.
Spurs went into the match needing to beat Chelsea to keep alive their hopes of catching the Foxes, however, they squandered a two-goal lead.
Harry Kane and Heung-min Son gave the North London side a 2-0 lead in the first-half, but following the introduction of Eden Hazard at the break, the Blues came out swinging.
Gary Cahill pulled one back for the hosts with a scrappy corner goal before Hazard curled his effort top corner to level the game at 2-2.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side did not go down without a fight with nine of their players receiving bookings in a very ill-disciplined clash.
Eden Hazard on the Battle of the Bridge
Hazard has expressed the joy it brought him to stop Chelsea’s bitter rivals Tottenham winning the Premier League after an very underwhelming campaign for himself.
The Belgian started the game on the bench but he only needed 45 minutes to cancel out the visitors’ lead and end their title quest.
Hazard told Shoot for Love: “That year I played my worst season at Chelsea, I was injured, I didn’t score for like six or seven months.
“We’d never lost to Tottenham at Stamford Bridge in 30 years. I was starting on the bench and watching the game. 1-0, 2-0, Kane scored, Son scored and I was like ‘Come on…’.”
“Then Guus Hiddink said go and warm up, you’re coming on and I was like now this is on me. I think you were so close to competing with Leicester to win the Premier League and I was like we cannot lose at the Bridge against Tottenham and Tottenham cannot be champions.”
The winger claims he could tell as soon as he had his first touch of the ball that was going to be his game and he was right as he bagged a hugely iconic goal.
“I was like you have 45 minutes just give everything and then this kind of game you feel it, first touch I could feel it was going to be my day.
“Gary Cahill scored on the corner and then we were pushing, pushing and then magic happened. Diego Costa passed to me. I made the run and then I finished it. Knee slide celebration in front of the Tottenham fans. That’s joy. Leicester champions and not Tottenham.”
How Tottenham’s team looked in 2016 under Mauricio Pochettino
Looking back at that Tottenham team in 2016, it’s hard to understand how Pochettino’s team failed to ever lift any silverware.
Spurs’ attack had everything from the perfect number ten in Christian Eriksen to one of the best strikers in the world Harry Kane leading the line.
The midfield duo of Mousa Dembele and Eric Dier was also an excellent partnership in the middle with Dembele becoming one of the most underrated players in the league.
Meanwhile, a back-line of Danny Rose, Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Kyle Walker was about as strong as any defence across the last decade of Premier League football.
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