Hazard warns title rivals: Chelsea have the experience

Eden Hazard has warned Chelsea’s title rivals that they have the experience needed to stay top of the Premier League until the end of the season.

Antonio Conte’s side are 10 points clear of second-place Tottenham thanks to their 3-1 win over Swansea City at the weekend – their 20th victory in 26 league matches.

Manchester City can close the gap to eight points if they win their game in hand and Conte has already claimed that another 29 points are needed for Chelsea to guarantee a second title in three seasons.

But Hazard, whose inspiring form helped them to triumph in 2014-15, does not believe his side will stumble in the closing weeks of the campaign.

“We are professional. We won the league two years ago so we know what to do,” the winger said.

“We have been first for a few months, we want to stay at the top and we have to take it game after game.”

Hazard missed a number of goalscoring opportunities against Swansea and the Belgium international has only hit the back of the net once in his last eight league appearances.

But the 26-year-old, who set up Diego Costa for Chelsea’s third, is not concerned by who finds the net as long as they continue to win.

“For me it is the same if I score, don’t score or assist,” he said.

“Even if I don’t make an assist or score goals – if I play a good game and we win, I will be the first man happy on the pitch.”