I asked Mourinho to change my position – Hazard

Mourinho said he was not generally nervous during a game but the dying moments were tough. “We could cope with the pressure in the last five minutes because it was there, I felt it and the players felt it. We coped well with that and we got a result that we obviously needed very much”.

Hazard also showed glimpses of a return to form. I heard a lot of things about it but no. Everything is good. He is the best manager.

On Saturday, Mourinho was a bit skeptical in his remarks saying while Chelsea has a chance of making it to the top four (a cut for Champions League football) defending the title would be a daunting task, noting that they would need Mission Impossible actor Tom Cruise for that to happen.

Chelsea captain John Terry was relieved after they overturned a three-match losing trend and backed striker Diego Costa to return to his goal-scoring best after netting the match-winner against Norwich City.

Norwich City manager Alex Neil criticised the decision not to award his team a first-half penalty in the 1-0 Premier League defeat at Chelsea on Saturday.

“Yes, we spoke before the Stoke game”. He claimed: “I said to him: ‘Maybe we have to try to change something”. “Maybe I have to play a No. 10 because we have to try”, Hazard explained. And, against Norwich, it was the same.

Chelsea’s campaign has so far been marked by the loss of form of a number of key players and reports of dressing room unrest.

“I want to have the responsibility in my hands, I want the players to have the responsibility. But I have to play with this responsibility”. But when I’m on the pitch that’s the only place where I don’t think about anything else. It doesn’t matter whether that’s in the middle or on the flanks. “But I have to play with this”.

“Sometimes you don’t know, you have to keep going”.

Blues boss Jose Mourinho, whose team had lost seven of their 12 previous Premier League matches this season, gave Kennedy a first league start. I know that. I don’t know why. I was feeling it and the gamers have been feeling it too. I would be more than happy for myself and the squad I have now to go to the last day. Every game that you don’t score goals, you have five kilos more. “Maybe he didn’t score enough this season”.

“Our defensive shape was good and we’ve carried out our game-plan well, only to switch off at a quick free-kick”. But he tried everything. “I assume we deserved to be having fun with the final 4 minutes with a two, three or 4-0 end result, relaxed”.

“Hopefully, this can be the start of the recovery”.

Mourinho reiterated Chelsea’s chances of retaining their title are already over, but the Portuguese is confident of a top four finish.

Asked if it had been a odd week for him, Hazard said: “Yes”. When we can not play, it’s hard.