Alexis Sanchez vs Eden Hazard - at their best, who was better?

 

As it is Tuesday, it can only mean one thing. It is time for our latest Fantasy H2H. Taking a trip down memory lane, we have already looked into who had a better individual season at Liverpool out of Luis Suarez and Mo Salah and also whether Cesc Fabregas or Mesut Ozil were better at their playmaking peak.

 

In this week's edition, as decided by you, on Twitter, we delve into the database and compare and contrast Eden Hazard's best league campaign against Alexis Sanchez's. Both have moved on since spells at Chelsea and Arsenal, respectively, and neither have managed to replicate the same devastating form they showed in London. Sanchez's career has certainly declined since then, while Hazard still has time on his side to put right what has been an injury-hit first season at Real Madrid.

 

 

Premier League football fans were in for a treat in 2014/15. Both Hazard and Sanchez produced the best league campaigns of their career to date that season. They finished as the first and second best WhoScored rated players in the division. Given the London rivalry, it has led to much debate about who was better.

 

Perhaps understandably, Chelsea supporters do not think it is even a question. They won the title that season by eight points, afterall. As Hazard played a pivotal role in ending Chelsea's four-year run without a league title, it's unsurprising the Belgiaum international finished that campaign as No.1 in the division according to WhoScored.com.

 

Arsenal finished 12 points back in third with a points haul of 75. In the four subsequent completed campaigns since they have not managed more. Even if Arsenal win their remaining 10 league games in 2019/20 they will finish five points shy of that figure. Sanchez was integral to Arsene Wenger's side then and at the peak of his powers. Arsenal supporters argue Sanchez was at his best in a significantly weaker side than Chelsea's but how close were they statistically.

 

It terms of goal contribution, it turns out they were incredibly close. Sanchez actually played a direct hand in 24 goals (16 goals, eight assists) compared to Hazard's 23 (14 goals, nine assists). This was not Sanchez's best ever season in terms of goal involvement, as he scored or assisted 34 goals the following campaign but his work in general play was better in 2014/15. Unfortunately for the Chile international, so was Hazard's.

 

Hazard is considered in the elite bracket when discussing the best dribblers in Europe and he gave defenders a torrid time during the 14/15 season. Hazard completed at least 66 more dribbles than any other player in the Premier League that season (4.8 per 90). Hazard's 181 successful dribbles is the most he has ever recorded in a single league campaign in the WhoScored database and impressively accounted for 37% of Chelsea's total. Remarkably, he was only 60 behind West Brom's total as a team. Second in the division for successful dribbles was Sanchez (115, 3.5 per 90).

 

Alexis Sanchez vs Eden Hazard - at their best, who was better?

 

 

It has often been suggested the amount of goals, or lack of, has held Hazard back from being considered one of the world's best. Despite peaking at 16 league goals in 2016/17 and 2018/19, it's often felt that Hazard could score much more. He has even admitted himself in the past he does not obsess over scoring like players such as Cristiano Ronaldo. While Hazard would prefer to find the killer final ball, Sanchez was more like Ronaldo in this instance. Sanchez's return of 3.7 shots per 90 trumped Hazard's 2.1. Sanchez wasn't far behind Hazard in terms of key passes created, either, though still ranks second to the 29-year-old. Hazard returned 2.7 key passes per 90 compared to Sanchez's 2.5.

 

There was one area where Sanchez clearly out-performed Hazard, however. While Sanchez is often seen as a selfish player, there is not doubting his tenacity. He has spent his entire career working beyond the call of duty and possible burnout potentially part explains his sharp decline. In 2014/15, Arsenal saw the best from Sanchez when they were out of possession. Sanchez's returned 2.1 tackles per 90 minutes. In no season since 2009/10 has Sanchez completed more tackles in a league campaign than 2014/15 (69). By contrast, Hazard only managed 0.7 tackles per 90. Sanchez incredibly completed 13 more tackles than Hazard attempted that season.

 

After driving Chelsea to the Premier League title, Hazard ranks supreme compared to Sanchez from their two peak seasons. Just as it seemed Sanchez was the best at something, Hazard would always find a way to trump him. Sanchez won eight WhoScored Man of the Match awards (second most). Hazard won 10. Sanchez got a WhoScored rating of 7.81 (second best). Hazard's was 7.96.

 

Players from Arsenal and Chelsea made up five of the top six WhoScored rated spots in the Premier League that season. What they would both do for that calibre of player now...

Alexis Sanchez vs Eden Hazard - at their best, who was better?