Nevin: Chelsea Playmaker Signing Can Handle Pressure

Pat Nevin has argued that Eden Hazard will handle the pressure this season to perform at his best for Chelsea, with the playmaker already displaying stunning form in his first few games with the Blues.

Hazard set up both goals against Wigan in the Blues' season opener, and his goal against Newcastle at the weekend put him in high esteem as the club look to secure their place in the top four once more.

And after Chelsea faced a tough fight to get hold of Hazard, with the Frenchman choosing Stamford Bridge over the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City, Nevin says the star has shown that he can not only take the pressure, but he will perform well under it too.

"With slightly less pressure the players can be just that little bit more relaxed and I certainly believe that helps, especially if you are the creative type," he told the Chelsea website.

"Playing for the joy as opposed to playing out of fear is the best way to maximise the contributions from the likes of [Juan] Mata, [Victor] Moses, Oscar and Hazard.

"Having said that, Eden has brought down a fair bit of pressure on his own head already. By playing so exceptionally well in the first three league games, everyone in English football expects him to continue this rich, ultra-productive vein of form.

"I suspect he can cope because even at the tender age of 21 he has already lived with it for a few years in France with little obvious negative effect."

Hazard joined a host of big names when he made the move to Chelsea, and though he has a huge reputation to live up to, he's already showing that he is worth all the hype that has surrounded him over the last few years.

And for the west London side, Hazard couldn't have come at a better time, with Roberto Di Matteo hoping to build a new generation of players who can take over from the old guard in the future and continue the successes that have come to Chelsea under Roman Abramovich's ownership.