Eden Hazard was described by Chelsea assistant boss Gianfranco Zola as one of the world's best players and "getting better and better" after the forward's stunning late goal sealed a 2-1 Carabao Cup win at Liverpool.
Hazard sent an emphatic strike past Simon Mignolet at the end of a wonderful run in the 85th minute of the third-round tie as Chelsea came from behind and halted the Reds' winning start to the season.
When it was put to Zola afterwards that Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher had said Hazard was the Premier League's best player, the Italian said he felt the assessment was correct.
.@hazardeden10: 'I spoke to N'Golo on the bench, and he said he didn't want to take a penalty so you have to score!' 👏 #LIVCHE pic.twitter.com/XU3BGfP5pd — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 26, 2018
And Zola said: "I think Eden is one of the best players in Europe and one of the best players in the world, for sure, and what he's done, that goal, is proof of that.
"He is getting better and better. He is doing the right things at the right moment and in a wonderful way."
Hazard got away from Jordan Henderson and Fabinho and sent the ball through Roberto Firmino's legs out to Cesar Azpilicueta on the right.
He then received it back, jinking past Naby Keita and then Alberto Moreno as he moved into the box, and cracking a shot across Mignolet into the net.
As well as scoring, Hazard, brought on as a substitute just before Daniel Sturridge's acrobatic 58th-minute opener, was also involved in the equaliser in the 79th minute when he delivered a free-kick, Ross Barkley's header was parried by Mignolet and Emerson Palmieri prodded in.
The incident went to a VAR review for offside before the final call was made that the goal should stand.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp – who, like his Chelsea counterpart Maurizio Sarri, made eight changes to his starting line-up ahead of the clubs meeting again at Stamford Bridge in the league on Saturday – questioned the leveller.
Klopp said: "I don't think it's a foul (Keita's challenge on Victor Moses which led to the free-kick). And then, I don't think I have the Liverpool glasses on my nose – I would say it's offside.
"You have two players that are clearly offside and they block my players.
"And then the one, Barkley, who makes the header, for me, is offside as well. Not much. I don't expect that the ref (Kevin Friend) would see that. But then you have the VAR and have a look and it's close. Why do you use it if you don't want to make the decision then? That's all."
Late #CFC double knocks the Reds out of the #CarabaoCup.#LIVCHEhttps://t.co/M1VcCSVmLe — Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 26, 2018
Klopp, whose side's 100 per cent start had featured seven wins in all competitions, added: "So I don't feel bad, because it was only unlucky. You have a free-kick that was maybe no free-kick. And the other one – maybe in the future when you use VAR then you say: 'OK, that's offside'.
"I don't expect using in situations like this the VAR, to be honest. But if you use it, make a decision."
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