Gio
★★★★★★★★
To break it down further, I think there’s a few differences that skew the figures.Since 442 was mostly eliminated for 3 forwards, the wide attackers are expected to score. Which is why Robben Salah, Bale Neymar Mane Mbappe etc have goals. Hazard is a wide forward not a winger in the mold of David Beckham
I don't expect Hazard to score as much as Haaland Lewandowski who are pure 9s but to at least match those world class wide forwards in his generation like those listed above
Firstly, there is a distinction between the playmaking and goalscoring wide forwards. The playmaking group would more often be the route to move the attack into the final third, whereas the wide goalscorers would be ending those moves as it progressed into the penalty box. The first group include Hazard, Ronaldinho, Figo, Ribery, who all posted lower ‘end product’ than the guys who had less playmaking responsibility.
Secondly, there are personnel aspects to it. The goalscoring wide forwards hit their biggest numbers when facilitated by a foil or false 9 through the middle, creating space or slipping them in. Hazard never really had such a player at Chelsea. It was always about servicing classic centre-forwards such as Torres and then Costa, neither of whom could return the favour. Interestingly his numbers jumped up when he was alongside Giroud, Pedro or Morata in his final couple of seasons there - players who could sacrifice themselves for a greater talent.
Thirdly, there are tactical and quality factors. Hazard's Chelsea career was marked by a series of more defensively minded managers in Benitez, Mourinho and Conte. This bore out in the number of goals their teams scored. If we compare the wide forwards you listed above:
- Robben's Bayern scored 75 or more in 9/10 league seasons
- Salah and Mane's Liverpool scored 75 or more in 4/5 seasons
- Neymar and Mbappe's PSG scored 75 or more in 5/5 seasons
- Bale's Real (until he effectively retired in 2019) scored 75 (94 in fact) or more in 5/6 seasons
- Hazard's Chelsea scored 75 or more in 2/9 seasons.