Maurizio Sarri has backed Eden Hazard to win the Premier League's Golden Boot this season.
Chelsea boss Sarri believes Hazard can become the best player in Europe, and thinks the Belgium playmaker can fire as many as 40 goals this term.
Hazard's magisterial hat-trick dominated Chelsea's 4-1 win over Cardiff on Saturday, pushing the Blues to the top of the table and extending their 100 per cent start to the campaign to five matches.
5/5 🔝 Congrats to your hattrick @hazardeden10 ⚽⚽⚽ #Hustle #AlwaysBelieve #CFC @chelseafc @premierleague pic.twitter.com/xAA9rHimrU
— Antonio Rüdiger (@ToniRuediger) September 15, 2018
And ex-Napoli manager Sarri believes Hazard has enough of an eye for goal to outstrip even arch poachers Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah.
Asked if Hazard can win the Golden Boot, Sarri replied: "I think so. We have spoken and I told him he can score 40 goals.
"He has to improve some things, but he can do it."
Asked if Hazard believes Sarri's claim he can reach 40 goals, Sarri said: "If you have seen Saturday's match today, then I think so!"
Great team performance. @hazardeden10 you are 🔥⚽⚽⚽🔥 #KTBFFH🔵👊🏻 pic.twitter.com/hGAKNo8Zzy
— César Azpilicueta (@CesarAzpi) September 15, 2018
Despite Chelsea's fluency in attack, all predicated by Hazard and his burgeoning partnership with Olivier Giroud, Sarri is well aware the Stamford Bridge men must sharpen up their defending.
Cardiff sneaked into the lead through Sol Bamba's neat finish, with Chelsea falling prey to a savvy training-ground ruse.
Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock thinks Chelsea could struggle to contain the Premier League's very best teams unless they hone their defending – and Sarri agrees.
The Blues' new Italian boss wants to turn Chelsea into the best team in England, but insists he cannot do so overnight, and remains convinced Liverpool and Manchester City will be the league's pacesetters this term.
When told Warnock believes Chelsea could struggle defensively against top-drawer opponents, Sarri replied: "I think he is right. Because we are very dangerous in the defensive phase, we need to improve there. But I think we can do it.
"Eight players joined us this summer. So I think it's normal that in this period we have some defensive problems. We can cope with the problems with the quality in the offensive phase, but not in the defensive phase.
"So I have to organise better the defensive phase and the players have to understand that. I think my opinion in this moment, two teams, Liverpool and Manchester City are better than us.
"We have to improve step by step. My target is to become the best team in England in one year, 18 months. That's the target."
