As Chelsea tried in vain to breakdown West Ham in the lashing rain at Stamford Bridge, two players were evidently at the heart of their attacking threat - Willian and Eden Hazard. The Brazilian and the Belgian were a delight to watch during the 90 minutes, with the latter showcasing that he has the ability to become one of the best players in the world. As the minutes ticked away it was Hazard who continuously dribbled and ran at the West Ham defence, he never gave up. Willian was also superb and must be seen as a key player for Chelsea in the title run-in. Since his summer move, Willian has slowly began to demonstrate why the Blues signed him from Shakhtar Donetsk. The Brazilian provides Chelsea with some genuine width, an aspect which is crucial when Chelsea are trying to prise open opposition defences. Without Willian, the Blues cannot stretch the opponent's back four. It is part of the reason why Juan Mata left. The Spaniard is hardly effective out wide and, when Oscar is the designated No10, you can see why Mourinho left him go. Willian's selection will be important for Chelsea as we enter the final months of the season. The width he provides gives Mourinho a different dimension when going forward, something Chelsea lack when Willian does not play.
Simon is an NCTJ qualified sports journalist. He has conducted interviews with Tony Adams and Peter Shilton, while also having work published in The Daily Telegraph and The Sun. Follow him on Twitter via @sr_collings.
