Hazard half-century sees him join Chelsea legends Lampard & Drogba in exclusive goal club

Eden Hazard has hit 50 Premier League goals for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, allowing him to join Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba in an exclusive club.

The Belgian left it late on his most recent outing to reach that notable landmark.

With Maurizio Sarri’s side trailing Wolves heading into the closing stages of a top-flight fixture in west London, they needed inspiration from somewhere.

Hazard has often been the source they turn to in moments of need, and he did not disappoint on Sunday.

The 28-year-old collected the ball 20 yards from goal with time running out.

He shifted to his right and found the space required to drill a curling effort into the bottom corner.

His effort salvaged a point for Chelsea in a 1-1 draw and saw him join two Blues legends on a star-studded list of those to have recorded a half-century of Premier League strikes on home soil.

Hazard’s first goal for Chelsea came at Stamford Bridge back in his debut campaign of 2012-13, when his account was opened in a meeting with Newcastle.

He has been a regular source of important strikes since then.

In total, Hazard has found the target on 105 occasions for the Blues. Of that haul, 82 have come in the Premier League.

He clearly favours outings in front of home support, given that 50 of his efforts have been recorded in west London.

Hazard’s most recent strike means that he has 13 in the English top-flight this season – leaving him three short of a personal best for Chelsea.

He is the same number away from matching his previous high across all competitions for the Blues, which came back in the 2014-15 campaign which saw him named PFA Player of the Year.

Sarri will be hoping that there is more to come from a star turn over the coming weeks.

Chelsea remain in contention for a top-four finish, but have slipped off the pace in sixth.

They are also through to the last-16 of the Europa League, with their next outing set to come in continental competition.

Boasting a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg of a meeting with Dynamo Kiev, the Blues are due in the Ukraine for a return date on Thursday.