Romeo Lavia has revealed that former Chelsea forward Eden Hazard is helping the midfielder stay in good form this season, according to a report in the Chelsea Chronicle on Monday November 2.

The Belgian midfielder said that he finds extra motivation in regularly chatting to the club legend and trying to make the former star proud.

Lavia put in a man of the match performance in Chelsea’s 2-0 Premier League win against Manchester United. The Belgian put in one of his best performances since arriving at the club and Hazard was in attendance at Stamford Bridge.

Hazard was pivotal in persuading him to join the club from Southampton in the summer of 2023 and they have maintained a good bond since then.

“He’s somebody very important for me. I see his eyes, that gives me extra motivation. I’m happy he’s in the stands,” Lavia told BBC Sport.

While it would be great to have Hazard in the squad, Xabi Alonso, Lavia has found himself in a strong attacking unit. Morgan Rogers scored a stunning solo goal against United, whilst Cole Palmer scored from the spot. Estevao Willian also impressed with his first Premier League start of the season.

The midfielder has seen his defensive output improve massively this season. According to FotMob, he is averaging 14.56 defensive contributions per game, up from 8.83 last season.

Lavia has also increased his tackle and interception numbers under Alonso. He is averaging 3.15 tackles per 90 minutes up from 1.91 last season. His interception numbers are also up from 1.19 to 2.91.

His top speed has also increased with the midfielder hitting 32.7 km/h. Last season he hit 31.9 km/h. Chelsea will be hoping he can keep this up in their game against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.