AP, London :
The foundations are being laid for one of the English Premier League’s most exhilarating and competitive title races.
For the first time since the league’s inception 26 years ago, two teams – Chelsea and Liverpool – have a 100 percent winning record after five matches.
Eden Hazard’s hat trick powered Chelsea to a 4-1 victory over Cardiff on Saturday shortly after Roberto Firmino helped Liverpool overcome Tottenham 2-1. Dual-track perfection can’t last much longer as Chelsea hosts Liverpool in a showdown at Stamford Bridge in two weeks.
And the defending champions are in the slipstream. Still unbeaten, Manchester City beat Fulham 3-0 to remain two points behind the front-runners.
Watford made an unexpectedly perfect start to the campaign but that was now over after being beaten 2-1 by Manchester United, which is trying to close a six-point gap on the leaders.
Hazard prepared for the Cardiff game with some encouragement and advice from Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri on Friday.
“You can score 40 goals,” Sarri recalled telling the winger. “But you have to spend less energy far from goal and you have to play in the last 25 meters of the field.”
Hazard’s best tally since joining Chelsea in 2012 is 18 in the 2016-17 campaign. He already has six from the opening five fixtures fueled by only his second Premier League treble.
The Belgium international surged through the defense before finishing powerfully in the 37th minute at Stamford Bridge to cancel out Sol Bamba’s surprise opener from winless Cardiff. Before halftime, Olivier Giroud laid the ball off for Hazard to unleash a strike which deflected in off Bamba to send Chelsea in front. Hazard’s third came from the spot in the 80th after a penalty was won by Willian, who curled in the fourth three minutes later.
