Conte urges Hazard to dazzle against Man City

Antonio Conte has challenged Eden Hazard to repeat his dazzlingperformance against Atletico Madrid when Chelsea face title rivalsManchester City today. Hazard was in fine form on Wednesday as Chelseabecame the first English team to win at Atletico with a 2-1 success inthe Champions League.The 26-year-old was making only his second start of the season inMadrid. Now Hazard is poised for his first Premier League start of thecampaign following three substitute appearances after surgery on hisankle.With Premier League leaders City looking strong, Blues boss Conte wantsHazard to help the champions draw level on points with the leaders atStamford Bridge. “If he was able to play one game like the last gameagainst Atletico Madrid it means he’s ready now to play withcontinuity,” Conte said yesterday. “For us he’s an important player. Last season he had an importantseason, he played very well, he performed as a top player. I’m veryhappy for him.”City’s swaggering start to the season has won plenty of admirers, withPep Guardiola’s free-scoring side installed as favourites to dethroneChelsea. While Guardiola is a rival today, that didn’t stop Conteexpressing his admiration for the Spaniard’s purist principles.“I think every coach must have an own style of football. For sure I havegreat respect for Pep. I think he’s the best,” he said. “Every coachtries always every day to take more information, new ideas and then tryto elaborate with your thoughts. I think Pep is a really good coach. Ilike to watch his game.”Guardiola will be without Sergio Aguero after the City striker sustaineda broken rib in a car crash on his day off in Holland on Thursday.Responding to that news, Conte told his players they must takeresponsibility for themselves in their own time. “When you have your dayoff, you must take your own responsibility to try to make the bestdecision for you, for the team, for the club,” Conte said.Conte felt striker Alvaro Morata has adapted well to the physicaldemands of regularly starting for the Premier League champions and hisrecent form is no surprise.Former Real Madrid and Juventus forward Morata has made a strong startin English football, scoring six goals in as many games to tie withManchester United’s Romelu Lukaku and Aguero as the league’s topscorers.Morata also scored in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Atletico and was seenlimping after the game. But Conte says the 24-year-old is fully fit toface City. “I am not surprised because I know Alvaro very well. Toarrive and to go well in this league is not simple,” Conte said. “He hasimproved his physical condition. This is his first chance to playregularly as a No. 9. Don’t forget his experiences at Juventus and RealMadrid, he didn’t play regularly.” Conte said suspended defender DavidLuiz, who was sent off against Arsenal earlier this month, will bemissed during the City game. For City, the Aguero blow comes after they discovered this week thatFrance defender Benjamin Mendy ruptured the anterior cruciate ligamentin his right knee in last weekend’s win over Crystal Palace.Guardiola doesn’t expect Mendy to be back in action until April. “Mendywill be operated on in Barcelona. He will be out until our semi-finalsof the Champions League,” he added. Guardiola also confirmed Citycaptain Vincent Kompany won’t be involved at Stamford Bridge.United will be huge favourites to beat basement club Crystal Palace atOld Trafford today. Far from soaring, the Eagles have lost all six oftheir league matches so far this season and have still to score theirfirst top-flight goal of a campaign where they have already sacked Frankde Boer and brought in former England boss Roy Hodgson — a boyhoodPalace fan — in a bid to arrest their slump.Tottenham Hotspur, fresh from seeing England striker Harry Kane score ahat-trick in a 3-0 Champions League win away to APOEL Nicosia, are atsurprise high-flyers Huddersfield while Watford will look to consolidatetheir position in the top half at West Bromwich Albion.Elsewhere West Ham, with just Bournemouth and Palace below them in thetable, will hope to ease the pressure on manager Slaven Bilic when theywelcome Swansea to the London Stadium, while Southampton are away toStoke.The pick of tomorrow’s three Premier League matches sees Newcastlemanager Rafael Benitez up against former club Liverpool, who this weekdrew 1-1 away to Spartak Moscow in the Champions League, at St James’Park in a fixture long known for producing high-scoring encounters.Arsenal and Everton, fresh from Europa League duty, are at home toBrighton and Burnley respectively.Fixtures (1400 GMT unless stated)Today: Bournemouth v Leicester, Chelsea v Manchester City (1630 GMT),Huddersfield v Tottenham (1130 GMT), Manchester United v Crystal Palace,Stoke v Southampton, West Brom v Watford, West Ham v SwanseaTomorrow: Arsenal v Brighton (1100 GMT), Everton v Burnley (1315 GMT), Newcastle v Liverpool (1430 GMT)