Hazard expects three-way battle for Premier League title
(Reuters) - Chelsea forward Eden Hazard expects Manchester City and Liverpool to be the London side's main rivals in the Premier League title race after the top three sides all enjoyed victories on the weekend.
Chelsea retained their place at the summit after they claimed a seventh successive league victory with a 2-1 home triumph over Tottenham Hotspur and will hope to continue the hot streak when they travel to third-placed City on Saturday.
"Man City and Liverpool. They are both good. If we want to be there at the end, then we have to finish above them," Hazard told British media when asked which teams Chelsea will need to be most wary of in the title race.
Second-placed Liverpool overcame a stubborn Sunderland 2-0 at Anfield on Saturday, while City rallied for a 2-1 victory at Burnley earlier in the day.
Chelsea, who finished 10th last campaign, are in fine form, having scored 19 goals and conceded just one during their winning run and Hazard admitted the absence of European football had given Antonio Conte's side a vital advantage.
"We have one week to prepare for the game and at the end of the week, we know what to do when we play," the 25-year-old Belgian international added.
"Last year, we were just doing recovery so we weren't always ready for the game but that's not the case now. We're concentrating on the opposition during the week and give everything.
"We do lots of tactical work and video work, it depends who we're playing. We do everything to be prepared."
(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; Editing by John O'Brien)