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Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen and Oshane Thomas have been handed Cricket West Indies central contracts for the first time and Darren Bravo returns with an all-format deal while the number of women on contracts has increased from 12 to 15.Among the men’s contracts there are now seven players on all-format deals, an increase from four, with Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul joining Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach.The CWI deals for the men come in three categories of all-format, red-ball and white-ball contracts.Pooran, Allen and Thomas were all part of the World Cup squad with Pooran, especially, impressing in the closing stages of the tournament with 118 against Sri Lanka and 58 against Afghanistan. Opening batsman John Campbell, who made his Test debut against England earlier this year, has also been handed his first contract in the red-ball category.Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican has been given a red-ball deal while Sheldon Cottrell gets a white-ball offer.Six players who had deals for 2018-19 have fallen off the lists: Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Miguel Cummins, Ashley Nurse, Kieran Powell and Raymon Reifer.In the women’s contracts, Reniece Boyce, Anisa Mohammed, Akeira Peters have not been offered new deals along with the retired Merissa Aguilleira.”We believe the 2019-20 contract list provides us with a multi-talented group of players who can represent West Indies men and women across all formats over the contract period,” interim chairman of the CWI Selection Panel, Robert Haynes, said. “We believe the mix of players selected are important for the development of our teams going forward and we have looked to award contracts to players who have shown commitment and performance during the past year.”CWI allows for up to 22 men’s contracts to be offered each year so there is scope to add three more names. Currently, only verbal offers for the deals have been made to the players while negotiations continue on the new four-year Memorandum of Understanding with the West Indies Players Association. Jimmy Adams, the CWI director of cricket, said the contracts are subject to the players reaching minimum fitness standards.”To assist in our drive towards a new fitness and conditioning culture, the CWI board of directors has approved our recommendation that the award of all new West Indies men’s contracts this year will be conditional on each player achieving a minimum standard of fitness,” he said. “This new policy will also be introduced to all men’s regional franchise contracts and West Indies Women’s contracts next year for the 2020-21 season.”CWI men’s contracts for 2019-20All-format Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Keemo Paul, Kemar RoachRed-ball Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Jomel WarricanWhite-ball Fabian Allen, Carlos Brathwaite, Sheldon Cottrell, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Oshane ThomasCWI women’s contracts 2019-2020Retained Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Hayley Matthews, Chedean Nation, Shakera Selman, Stafanie TaylorNew contracts Shabika Gajnabi, Shawnisha Hector, Chinelle Henry, Stacy-Ann King, Kycia Knight, Natasha McLean, Karishma Ramharack

Aston Villa star Alisha Lehmann continued her good goalscoring form with another strike for Switzerland against Hungary.

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Lehmann opens scoring in Switzerland winCelebrates in style after goalSwiss set to host Euro 2025WHAT HAPPENED?

Lehmann opened the scoring on Friday as Switzerland beat Hungary 2-1 in qualifying for next summer's European Championship. The Villa star, who scored twice in her last three games of the WSL season, netted with a strike from inside the penalty area to make it 1-0. Hungary levelled after the break, before Ramona Bachmann struck the winner from the penalty spot just after the hour mark.

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Lehmann also unveiled a new celebration after the win and took to Instagram with a message which explained the gesture and seemed to be aimed at boyfried Douglas Luiz. She wrote: "Catched (sic) a big fish today" with a series of emojis and tagged the Brazilian in the post.

Alisha Lehmann IG

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Lehmann is back on international duty after holidaying with Luiz in Brazil. The result means Switzerland top their group with nine points from nine after three games played and are three points clear of nearest rivals Turkey in second place. Of course Switzerland are already guaranteed a place at the 16-team tournament as hosts.

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WHAT NEXT FOR LEHMANN

Lehmann and Switzerland face Hungary again on June 4 and then do not play again until July when they come up against Turkey and Azerbaijan. The new WSL season is due to kick off on the weekend of September 21-22.

The January transfer window is open for business and Leeds United could look to add to their attacking options before the end of the month.

Daniel Farke's side are gunning for automatic promotion to the Premier League and are currently seven points adrift of the top two in the Championship.

TEAMtalk reported in November that the Whites are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign AFC Wimbledon centre-forward Ali Al-Hamadi.

EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer

As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

Derby County, Blackburn Rovers, and Sunderland are also said to be eyeing up the Iraq international, who has caught the eye with his performances this season.

Farke could now secure his next version of Josh Sargent, who was a reported target for Leeds last summer and signed for Norwich by the German in 2021, by winning the race to sign the League Two star.

Josh Sargent's Championship career in numbers

The USA international recently made his comeback after 22 matches out with a serious ankle injury that was sustained back in August against Huddersfield.

Sargent has produced four goals, one assist, and two 'big chances' created in six Championship matches either side of that horrible blow.

His impressive return this term has come off the back of 13 goals, two assists, and five 'big chances' created in 40 league outings for the Canaries from the 23-year-old whiz during the 2022/23 campaign.

The 6 foot 1 marksman, whose workload was once lauded as "unbelievable" by Farke, has proven himself to be a fantastic goalscorer at that level and has the physicality to be an imposing number nine who opposition defenders loathe to play against.

He has won 3.5 duels per game this season and has been a constant nuisance to centre-backs with 1.7 ball recoveries per match for his side.

The statistics that show why Al-Hamadi could be Sargent 2.0

Al-Hamadi is a player who could offer similar qualities to Farke's former forward at the top end of the pitch if Leeds sign him this month.

The 21-year-old ace, who is another up-and-coming number nine, can score and create goals whilst also being able to offer a physical presence.

Appearances

19

Starts

15

Goals

Ten

Assists

One

Duels won per game

5.1

He has racked up 13 goals, six assists, and seven 'big chances' created in 23 League Two outings for Wimbledon so far during the 2023/24 campaign.

His impressive form in front of goal has led to praise from analyst Tom Williams, who claimed that the Iraq international is "flying" and will not slow down.

The 6 foot 2 EFL dynamo – once described as a "threat" to opposition defences by manager Johnnie Jackson – has also made 3.0 ball recoveries and won 4.2 duels per game this term.

These statistics show that Al-Hamadi, like Sargent, is a lethal centre-forward who can also cause constant problems for defenders with his physicality and pressing to win possession back, to go along with his attacking talent.

Of course, there is no guarantee that the 21-year-old ace will be able to translate all of those qualities up to the Championship as it is a big leap up from League Two.

However, for the right price, it could be a worthwhile gamble for Leeds to make as his impressive statistics indicate that the potential is there for him to be Farke's new Sargent in the number nine role.

Brandon Thomas-Asante's stylish finish for West Bromwich Albion helped the Baggies pick up a point versus Stoke City last time out, the ex-Salford City striker playing the role of hero on the day for the hosts with a first-time shot beating Potters goalkeeper Jack Bonham to make the score 1-1.

This means Carlos Corberan's promotion hopefuls are now unbeaten in two matches to stop a momentary rot in the West Midlands which had seen them lose two on the spin prior, even with the injuries beginning to pile up for the Championship club.

Baggies midfielder Matt Phillips is one long-term absentee as revealed by Corberan recently, with striker Josh Maja also sidelined once more with a serious injury – the ex-Fulham man expected to be out for four months owing to an ankle ligament issue.

The West Midlands club could use the upcoming transfer window to recruit a new striker to bolster the ranks alongside Thomas-Asante therefore, with the Baggies rumoured to be in for one deadly striker who has previously taken the second tier by storm.

West Brom transfers latest – Brereton Diaz interest

Reports in Spain are suggesting that Villarreal could be tempted to offload their faltering striker Ben Brereton Diaz this January, the ex-Blackburn man a feared figure up top when pulling on a Riversiders strip in the Championship before relocating to Spain.

The long-haired forward has failed to settle in his new surroundings for the The Yellow Submarine, with the Baggies keen to offer the 6 foot 1 striker a new short-term home on loan to enable him to get back to his goalscoring best.

The Spanish publication are also speculating that the likes of Leeds United, Leicester City and Southampton are keen to land Brereton Diaz from the second tier, with fierce competition for his signature heating up in January.

West Brom should make the former Blackburn attacker their number one target however, bringing in a proven goalscorer that could give them the edge in the intense promotion battle which would also end up softening the blow of Maja's lengthy injury.

Brereton Diaz's record at Championship level

Initially goal-shy for the Riversiders, the 24-year-old forward never looked back after a potent 2021-22 season for the Lancashire club saw him catapulted into the limelight.

Brereton Diaz – who would win a cap for adopted nation Chile off the back of this standout individual campaign – netted 22 goals for Blackburn during that season but his goals alone weren't enough for the club to reach their target of the playoffs as a collective.

2022-23 season

43

14

4

2021-22 season

37

22

3

2020-21 season

40

7

5

It just hasn't worked out in Spain for the clinical Championship goalscorer surprisingly despite joining the La Liga side in the form of his life, goalless from 19 appearances with Villarreal to date.

The Chile international has been arguably underutilised in his new location – only averaging 22 minutes per game in the Spanish top flight as per Sofascore – and so could view a move to the Hawthorns this January as a viable transfer to make to feel cherished again.

Labelled as a menacing forward that had "cracked the Championship" last season by football pundit and ex-striker Glenn Murray speaking on ITV Sports, Corberan will hope Brereton Diaz can pick up from where he left off in the second tier if he signs on the dotted line for the Baggies in January.

Tamil Nadu trump Gujarat in thriller, Khaleel Ahmed’s first T20 five-for goes in vain as Rajasthan lose to Vidarbha

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2019

Prithvi Shaw hits down the ground•BCCI

Uttarakhand keep winning streak aliveUttarakhand continued their remarkable run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2018-19, clocking their fourth victory on the trot by beating Tripura by a handy 37 runs. Uttarakhand are yet to lose a match in the competition, and are currently sitting on top of the Group E table with 16 points.Put in to bat, Uttarakhand were well served once again by Karn Veer Kaushal, who hit 58 off 44 balls opening the innings. Vaibhav Panwar also made 46 as Uttarakhand put up a reasonable 147 for five.ALSO READ: Uttarakhand’s rise from Big Bang chaosTripura’s reply ran into early trouble and never recovered, as they were bowled out for 110 in 19 overs, Rohit Dangwal taking 3 for 16. Captain Rajat Bhatia took 3 for 29, and outside of a 56-run stand for the fifth wicket in which Manisankar Murasingh contributed 33 in 18 balls, Tripura didn’t have any substantial partnerships.Tamil Nadu sneak past Gujarat in low-scoring contestA combined effort from Tamil Nadu’s bowlers stopped Gujarat at 124, giving TN a one-run win after they had put up 125 for 6 after being put in to bat.TN were in early trouble at 21 for three, having lost M Vijay and B Indrajith, but steady contributions from the middle order averted a collapse. NS Chaturved (34) and Washington Sundar (33) both scored at less than a run a ball, and N Jagadeesan’s 29 boosted TN towards the end.For Gujarat, Arzan Nagwaswalla had a successful T20 debut with 3 for 11 in four overs, building on the good form he had shown with both white ball and red earlier in the season.CHECK OUT: All the Syed Mushtaq Ali scorecardsGujarat’s reply was helmed by Chirag Gandhi, who remained not out on 68 off 66 balls from No. 4, but the next highest score was Nagwaswalla’s 12 from No. 10. Gandhi ended with his highest T20 score, but could only watch in frustration as Hardik Patel, the last man, was run out at the bowler’s end after a mix up.Gujarat had slipped to 96 for nine in 16.5 overs with Nagwaswalla’s wicket, and Gandhi ensured he farmed the strike as much as possible, facing almost every delivery thereafter. He hit four sixes and an equal number of fours, single-handedly adding 28 runs for the last wicket – 25 off his bat and three extras. With Gujarat 123 for nine and one ball left, Abhishek Tanwar bowled one well wide. The umpire signalled it, but Hardik had run almost down the length of the pitch even as Gandhi stayed put. Before Hardik could scramble back, the ball had been relayed to the bowler, who broke the stumps.Khaleel Ahmed is thrilled after picking up a wicket•Associated Press

Karnewar’s four trumps Khaleel’s fiveKhaleel Ahmed continued his good form with a first-ever five-wicket haul in T20 cricket, but despite his 5 for 18, Rajasthan lost a low-scoring match against Vidarbha by 44 runs.Choosing to bat first, Vidarbha were shot out for 117 in 16.5 overs, with Khaleel doing the damage in just 2.5 overs. Vidarbha had started well, but collapsed after being 61 for two in 5.2 overs. Atharva Taide made 23 off 16 at the top of the order while wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma hit 49 off 29, but the rest couldn’t contribute too much, with Khaleel taking the last three wickets in five balls.Rajasthan began steadily, with opener Manender Singh and No. 3 Robin Bist putting on 45 runs off 41 balls for the second wicket, but went from 47 for one to 73 all out. The wrecker in chief was Akshay Karnewar, who took 4 for 7 in 3.5 overs, his best-ever T20 figures. Rajasthan’s innings also lasted exactly 16.5 overs, and Karnewar replicated Khaleel’s feat in finishing things off with three wickets in the last five balls.Shaw returns to formPrithvi Shaw, who had made a tepid comeback from injury in the tournament, returned to form with a blazing 71 off 47, taking Mumbai to a six-wicket win against Goa. Shaw had scored ten, eight and a duck in Mumbai’s three previous games, but smashed seven sixes and five fours as Mumbai chased down their target of 141 in just 18.2 overs.Goa were restricted to 140 for four after choosing to bat. Each of the top four made more than 25, but only captain Amogh Desai (38 off 24) scored at a strike rate better than 120.In Mumbai’s reply, Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane put on 95 in 11.1 overs to set them well on course. Rahane (31 off 25) played second fiddle in the stand, but even though Shaw fell and Shreyas Iyer had a rare failure, Mumbai’s fast start meant they completed the chase comfortably.

Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly pulled out of the race for Barcelona's Frenkie De Jong as Bayern Munich and Manchester United remain interested.

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PSG out of race for Barca's De JongMan Utd and Bayern still keen on signingBarcelona may sell midfielder in summerWHAT HAPPENED?

It has been heavily reported that the club are looking to sell the high-earning midfielder for a sum that would help them trudge towards president Joan Laporta's goal to get the club back to economic stability.

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According to a report from , the Dutch midfielder, who held the affection of PSG for the last couple of summers, is no longer a target for them as they look to replace Kylian Mbappe, who will be leaving the club for Real Madrid. With Napoli's Victor Osimhen being their prime target for this summer, they will be unable to splash the cash on De Jong and have pulled out altogether.

DID YOU KNOW?

According to the report, just like Barcelona, PSG are also immersed in a battle to clean up their messy accounts as they fear a potential for a Financial Fair Play investigation in the summer. If they attempt to sign De Jong and a replacement for Mbappe in the same summer, they could potentially ruin their chances of cleaning up their economic situation.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR DE JONG?

With United and Bayern both interested in the Dutchman, it remains to be seen where he looks to move if he does decide to leave the Catalan side. At this point, De Jong has maintained neutrality and hasn't hinted at a move away but also hasn't gotten in touch with Barcelona regarding their proposed contract renewal, which would see him earn less than he already does.

Arsenal have reportedly made an approach to sign a club's striker likened to Gabriel Jesus, during talks for another one of their "monster" players.

Arteta's transfer plans for 2024

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu are apparently planning to shore up two main areas of the squad next year – centre-midfield and the striker area.

Thomas Partey's injury woes this season, coupled with rumours the Ghanaian could even leave in January, have apparently motivated Arsenal to look at alternative options for 2024.

Aston Villa star Dougla Luiz is attracting interest from Arteta yet again, while Brazilian midfielder Andre is also admired by Arsenal in their search for more midfield options.

"The Partey situation, in terms of having to replace him, has been in the background at Arsenal for a year now," said reporter Dean Jones to GiveMeSport recently.

"So the club definitely have targets identified at varying levels of cost that they can turn to. Andre is an interesting one here because there definitely has been attention dedicated to his situation and if he is going to make a move, it makes sense that it will be in January because of the way the calendar works in Brazilian football.

"There is the obvious link of Edu that connects Arsenal and the Brazilian, so that could prove helpful and he certainly seems more attainable than the likes of Martin Zubimendi and Douglas Luiz in the January window."

Amid Arsenal's hunt for a new midfield man, reports also suggest a new striker joining is very possible in 2024.

Brentford star Ivan Toney is repeatedly linked with a move to north London as one example, coming as Arteta has just Jesus and Eddie Nketiah to turn to as natural options right now.

Summer signing Kai Havertz was brought in as a makeshift option, but the German has come under criticism at times for not exactly firing on all cylinders.

Arsenal make approach for Matheus Reis

The north Londoners, according to a report by Calciomercato.it, are broadening their search for a new target man to outside of Europe. Indeed, it is believed Arsenal have made an approach for Matheus Reis of Fluminese, during talks over signing Andre.

The young forward, who Calciomercato.it likened to Jesus and Marcos Leonardo, has a £44 million release clause in his contract with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City all asking for information on Reis.

The £44m figure in his exit clause is one that doesn't scare the quartet of English sides, according to this report, with the suggestion being they're all willing to pay this fee. Either way, Arsenal have been urged to sign a striker, with former defender Mikael Silvestre saying it would provide a much-needed balance. The ex-Gunner told GGRecon (via The Express):

"Right now you have Eddie Nketiah at the club alongside Gabriel Jesus, but signing a third striker could present them with a luxury that could be useful at this level, especially when you consider the amount of games that Arsenal could potentially play this season."

Chelsea face Manchester City this weekend in a huge Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge, and Fabrizio Romano has now shared some major injury news ahead of the fixture.

Chelsea's injury struggles….

Like many sides this term, Chelsea have had to face the unwanted reality of injury struggles, which at times have forced Mauricio Pochettino's hand regarding team selection. Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalobah and Romeo Lavia have been among some of the more long-term absentees at Stamford Bridge. At the same time, Armando Broja has continually had to deal with injury niggles this campaign, leaving Nicolas Jackson to lead the line alone for much of this season, as per Football London.

Nevertheless, Romano has taken to social media platform X to issue some positive news surrounding summer signing Lavia, who joined Chelsea for a fee in the region of £58 million from Southampton in August, as cited by Sky Sports.

Explaining when Lavia could potentially return to contention, Romano shared quotes from Blues manager Pochettino on the Belgium international, which read: "Roméo Lavia, close to returning as he was training today. Hopefully next week he will be involved with the team, then assess when he can help the team."

Of course, the congestion around the Christmas period will require squad rotation as players are required to participate in a large number of fixtures within a relatively short space of time. Chelsea captain Reece James has recently made his return to first-team action, providing a major boost in SW6 as the Blues aim to climb the Premier League table.

Despite this, James asked to be left out of Gareth Southgate's Three Lions squad for their upcoming double-header against Malta and North Macedonia in EURO 2024 qualifying, which is something the former Middlesbrough boss has implied could count against him when he selects his squad to compete at the tournament proper next summer in Germany.

Now, another major Chelsea injury update has become apparent as their clash against Manchester City on Sunday at Stamford Bridge draws closer.

Christopher Nkunku injury update

Once again taking to social media platform X, Romano has confirmed that Chelsea attacker Christopher Nkunku is set to miss the clash against Manchester City.

Christopher Nkunku statistics for RB Leipzig – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

172

Goals

70

Assists

56

However, the Italian journalist has also revealed a promising timeline for Nkunku's return from his injury struggles, as he stated: "Chelsea confirm Christopher Nkunku’s absence for Man City game — sources expect him back beginning of December."

Much anticipation surrounded Nkunku's arrival at Chelsea. Nevertheless, his struggles with a significant knee issue have curtailed any hope of seeing the France international turning out at Stamford Bridge thus far.

Judging from his performances in 2022/23, it is clear that Nkunku is a distinguished attacking force that will be a major asset to Chelsea when he pulls on the blue jersey, given that he averaged three shots, 1.6 key passes and 1.5 completed dribbles per match in the Bundesliga (Nkunku statistics – WhoScored).

For now, at least, Chelsea fans will need to wait a little while longer before Pochettino is able to unleash Nkunku at Stamford Bridge.

With Eden Hazard announcing his retirement from football at the age of 32, it brings an end to the career of one of the most talented individuals to have graced European football over the 2010s.

Having spent time in France, England, and Spain, the Belgian forward achieved levels of success that most players could only dream of. With numerous titles both domestically and continentally, as well as plenty of individual honours, it’s hard to argue against Hazard’s reputation, as gifted as he was.

In memory of such an illustrious career, Football FanCast takes a look back at just some of the greatest moments of Hazard’s decorated run in European football since his breakthrough in the late 2000s.

Domestic double with Lille (2010/11)

Since making his way into Rudi Garcia’s Lille side at the age of just 17, it was immediately clear that the French side had an exceptional talent on their hands.

After winning consecutive Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year awards in the 2008/09 and 2009/10 seasons, Hazard’s influence on the side was growing by the year.

The 2010/11 season was the year when Hazard well and truly announced himself to the football world. The Belgian was pivotal for Lille, scoring seven times and assisting a further 11 as they won their first league title since 1954.

As well as the league success, Hazard starred for Lille in the Coupe de France, scoring three times in five games as they secured the domestic double for only the second time in club history – the first time being 65 years prior.

Hazard’s brilliance that season didn’t go unnoticed, as he finally got his hands on the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award, becoming the youngest ever player to do so at just 20 years old.

Winning PFA Young Player of the Year (2013/14)

In a strong debut season with Chelsea in the 2012/13 season, Hazard did enough to remove any doubts over his ability to adapt to a new league, scoring 13 times for the Blues in all competitions.

He didn’t shy away from following it up the next season by exceeding the standards he had set the season prior, as he impressively scored 14 times in 35 Premier League appearances.

Despite Chelsea going trophyless that season, Hazard’s individual performances were worthy enough to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award, beating the likes of Raheem Sterling, Luke Shaw, and Aaron Ramsey to the honour, and missing out on the PFA Player of the Year award to Liverpool’s Luis Suarez.

Winning the Premier League and PFA Player of the Year (2014/15)

With Suarez leaving the Premier League for Barcelona ahead of the 2014/15 season, it allowed Hazard to take the throne as the best player in the league, and he didn’t disappoint.

Having beaten London rivals Spurs to win the League Cup that March, Hazard and Chelsea were hungry for more silverware.

The Belgian contributed to 24 goals in the league that season, as Chelsea were comfortably crowned English champions for the first time in five years.

His efforts across the campaign were justifiably rewarded when he was named the PFA Player of the Year for the first time in his Chelsea career.

Ending Spurs’ title chances (2015/16)

If there were still any fans who doubted Hazard’s status as a Chelsea hero in the making, their minds would have certainly been shifted following his all-important equaliser against Spurs towards the end of the 2015/16 season.

The season as a whole was a huge disappointment for Hazard and the reigning champions, who finished 10th after sacking Jose Mourinho in December 2015. It was made worse for Chelsea, as Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur side were still competing to win their first league title since 1961.

It all came down to matchday 36 of the season, where Spurs had to go to Stamford Bridge and win to keep their title hopes alive.

Dubbed the “Battle of the Bridge”, the two sides fittingly treated fans to one of the feistiest contests in the history of the league, with Spurs taking a 2-0 lead away from home. A goal from Gary Cahill pulled one back for the hosts, but with the full-time whistle approaching, it seemed as though Spurs were about to do the unthinkable and keep the title race going with a rare win at the Bridge.

That’s when Eden Hazard stepped up. With less than 10 minutes to play, the Belgian placed a sensational curling effort into the top corner of Hugo Lloris’ goal, to officially end Spurs’ title hopes and cement his Chelsea legacy for the rest of time.

FA Cup final winner (2017/18)

With the FA Cup final marking the final game of the 2017/18 English season before the World Cup took place that summer, it was the perfect opportunity for Chelsea or Manchester United to end on a high.

With a close game predicted, it was essential for Chelsea’s star man to step up to the occasion when needed.

Hazard didn’t disappoint, and after 20 minutes, he found himself on the end of a wonderful pass from Cesc Fabregas and made his way into the area, before being brought down by Phil Jones and winning a penalty. Hazard, of course, would convert the penalty to give Chelsea the lead early on.

His goal would be enough to separate the two sides and would give Chelsea their eighth FA Cup title.

Captaining Belgium to best World Cup finish (2018)

As a professional footballer, there aren’t many accomplishments more honouring than representing your nation at a World Cup, but Eden Hazard went one further than that.

The Belgian was named the captain of his side from 2015 until he retired from international football in 2022, meaning he wore the armband for Roberto Martinez’s men in the 2018 tournament.

At the time, the Belgium side was filled with extraordinary talent, from Thibaut Courtois to Kevin De Bruyne, and of course, Hazard himself, with the Red Devils favoured to have a strong run in the tournament.

Captained by Hazard, Belgium went as far as the semi-finals, where they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by eventual winners France. In the third-place play-off, Belgium beat England 2-0 to secure the bronze medal, making it their highest finish at a World Cup in the nation's history.

Stunning winner against Liverpool (2018/19)

As far as his goalscoring record went, not many wingers in Premier League history can compete with Hazard in terms of the quality of his finishes. Perhaps the one that stands above the rest was his incredible late winner against Liverpool in the League Cup in 2018.

Only a matter of minutes earlier, Hazard’s free kick resulted in Emerson equalising for the Blues with just over 10 minutes left to play. Entering the final minutes of the 90 with the scores still level, Hazard gained possession by the sidelines with almost every Liverpool player back to defend.

What happened next was a moment of magic from Hazard. The Belgian found his way dribbling through a pair of unfortunate Liverpool defenders, before firing the ball into the far corner from an almost impossible angle, winning the game for Chelsea in the most extraordinary fashion at Anfield.

100th Chelsea goal (2018/19)

One of the most impressive individual accomplishments achieved by Hazard during his time at Chelsea was undoubtedly reaching the 100 goals milestone.

He did so on his 322nd appearance for the Blues in a Premier League fixture against Watford in December 2018 to become only the 10th player in the club's history to reach the iconic number and the first winger to manage the feat.

His tally didn’t spend too long at 100, as he would score his brace to secure the three points for Chelsea on a special day for the player.

Winning the Europa League in final Chelsea game (2018/19)

Towards the end of the 2018/19 season, talk on Hazard’s future was becoming a regular topic amongst the media, although it certainly didn’t affect him, as he recorded his highest goals-and-assists tally in his professional career, with 21 goals and 17 assists in all competitions.

In what would eventually become the final game of his Chelsea career, Hazard signed off in traditional fashion, as the Blues faced rivals Arsenal in the 2019 Europa League final.

His performance that day summed up everything that Eden Hazard was capable of, as he scored twice and assisted another as Chelsea completely dominated Arsenal, winning the game 4-1.

Hazard left as a club legend, with 110 goals and 92 assists in 352 appearances, as well as countless honours won with his team as well as on an individual level.

Signing for Real Madrid (2019/20)

The following summer, Hazard would sign for Spanish giants Real Madrid in a reported £130m move including add-ons.

It’s no secret that his time in Madrid failed to live up to the expectations that had been set from his time in the Premier League, but on a personal level, signing for a club of that stature is a dream for any young player. Hazard was no different, claiming it was his “dream” to play for Madrid at some point in his career.

His four-year spell in Madrid was riddled with injury struggles, which kept him out of the side for prolonged periods on numerous occasions.

Despite the setbacks faced in Spain, Hazard still featured as Madrid were twice crowned La Liga champions and finally got his hands on the Champions League trophy in the 2021/22 season.

Manchester United officials have travelled to Getafe for talks over the future of Mason Greenwood after a meeting with Deco in Barcelona.

• Man Utd chiefs in Getafe for transfer talks
• Have already met with Barcelona sporting director Deco
• Greenwood's loan deal to expire in summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Manchester United are in Getafe to try and resolve Greenwood's future, according to . The forward has attracted interest from Barcelona and other clubs in Europe and Saudi Arabia, with the Red Devils eager to sell for a fee of approximately €50 million (£42m/$54m). Getafe have already made it clear they would like to keep hold of Greenwood but are unable to meet United's asking price. However, the club are hoping to find a solution that would allow the 22-year-old stay for another season at Getafe.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United's trip to Getafe comes after a meeting in Barcelona with sporting director Deco. The Catalan giants are also reported to be admirers of Greenwood, but the club's difficult financial situation means a permanent transfer looks unrealistic at present. Greenwood is said to be reluctant to return to Old Trafford and may well be tempted to remain in Spain after making an impact with Getafe this season.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Greenwood has six goals and five assists in La Liga this season in 23 outings. Only Diego Rico, with seven, has managed more assists for Getafe so far in the current campaign.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GREENWOOD

  Talks are set to continue over Greenwood's future and it's still not clear where he will play his football next season. In the meantime, the forward is due to return to action with Getafe on Saturday in La Liga as Jose Bordalas's side take on high-flying Girona.