Eden Hazard has been playing brilliantly for Chelsea all season but up until today he was still waiting for his signature moment this season, a goal that will be re-shown and re-watched for months, worthy of his supreme talent and his centrality to this inevitable title.

Today he got it. Hazard scored one of the very best goals of his Chelsea career, a goal to confirm this crucial win and put Chelsea even closer to what will be the second Premier League title of his five seasons at Stamford Bridge.

Hazard picked up the ball near the halfway line and drove forwards with the ball. Francis Coquelin tried to foul him but he simply bounced off the man whose welterweight strength can sometimes still go underappreciated. He then ran at Laurent Koscielny, one of the best one-on-one defenders in the country for nearly a decade, forcing him backwards, turning him towards his own goal, before whipping the ball into the net before Petr Cech could even realise what had happened.

It was a classic example of Hazard’s intuitive sense for a big moment and his bravery to take responsibility when it matters. That is a skill that Arsenal’s top players, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, do not obviously share.

Hazard’s best goals are usually instinctive quick shots from the edge of the box so this one, starting with a brilliant dribble, was a joy to watch, and one of the moments of the season. That is why his Belgian national team colleagues call him ‘Hazardinho’.

What this goal was to underline the improvement in Hazard’s game, how he has gone back to the summit of the Premier League’s top performers, ahead of Diego Costa, Kevin De Bruyne, Sanchez and the rest.

Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Thibaut Courtois – 5 out of 10 Aside from letting in a late goal, it was a very straight forward day for the Belgian. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Cesar Azpilicueta – 6 out of 10 Tackled well, kept his shape well and worked relentlessly. Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Gary Cahill – 6 out of 10 Led by performance today and even came close to getting his name on the scoresheet. Salvio Calabrese/UK Sports Pics Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings David Luiz – 5 out of 10 Was wasteful with some of his clearances, but due to a lack of Arsenal attacks – he had an easy day at the back. Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Victor Moses – 6 out of 10. The Nigerian powerhouse caused constant problems for the Arsenal defence when he charged forward. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Marcos Alonso – 6 out of 10 Scored the opener which crushed Arsenal’s confident start. Worked well for the remainder. Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings N’Golo Kante – 8 out of 10 He optimises the Chelsea side – bundles of energy, clever play and a faultless work rate. Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Nemanja Matic – 7 out of 10 His partnership with Kante dominated the midfield and left Arsenal looking lost in the middle of the field. Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Pedro – 7 out of 10 The playmaker and the key element to counter attack Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Eden Hazard – 9 out of 10 His solo goal was an example of Hazard’s limitless ability. His running, movement, skill on the ball and positioning were world class. Arsenal FC via Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Diego Costa – A real menace up top and laid on two assists. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Petr Cech – 4 out of 10 Gave Fabregas the last goal due to an individual error and looked helpless for Alonso’s first goal. Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Hector Bellerin – 4 out of 10 Out-jumped for the first goal and was subsequently substituted with an injury. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Laurent Koscielny – 6 out of 10 Relentlessly cleared danger and intercepted Chelsea moves. Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Shkodran Mustafi – 7 out of 10 Made a number of crucial interceptions and tackles to deny Chelsea’s relentless counter attacks. Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Nacho Monreal – 3 out of 10 His poor positioning left his side exposed and allowed the Chelsea strike force to punish the Gunners. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Francis Coquelin – 5 out of 10 Should be able to dictate a game like this but instead he saw very little of the ball and made a number of reckless challenges. Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 5 out of 10 Looked lost in his own position and failed to make an impact going forward. Arsenal FC via Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Theo Walcott – 4 out of 10 Showed no sign of attacking prowess and should have tracked Alonso for the opening goal. Arsenal FC via Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Mesut Ozil – 5 out of 10 Deliveries were good, but aside from that it was an extremely quiet display by a man of such ability. Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Alex Iwobi – 5 out of 10 Looked confident in the early stages, but disappeared as the game progressed. Needed to see more of the ball. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea vs Arsenal player ratings Alexis Sanchez – 5 out of 10 The Chilean received no service from his midfield and saw very little of the ball as a result. This made it an incredibly easy afternoon for the Chelsea defence. Getty Images

Hazard of course was the best player in the country and won Footballer of the Year back in 2014-15. He was the decisive genius in that title-winning side and made a serious claim to be the next best player in the world about Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Then, like plenty of his team-mates, Hazard looked like half the player during the traumatic season that followed. He grew tired of Jose Mourinho’s endless politics and games and gave the impression that he would far rather be playing anywhere else.

That is why Antonio Conte has to take so much credit for reviving Hazard’s love of the game and bringing the best of his unique ability out of him again. From day one Conte has impressed the Chelsea players with his honesty, his enthusiasm and the natural authority that comes from his having been such a successful player.

Conte has worked the players ferociously hard in training, dragging them around the pitch in their ‘shadow play’ exercises. It is boring but it has been very worthwhile, giving the Chelsea team a sense of structure and purpose again.

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This 3-4-3 system has also relieved Hazard from the pressure of having to look after the opposition right-back. With Marcos Alonso at wing-back to do that, Hazard can focus on staying close to Diego Costa, running at opponents and not worrying too much about what is happening behind him.

Hazard told Thierry Henry last week exactly how Conte has built a team to get the best out of him again.

"In tactics and training we do more with Conte,” Hazard said. “We work a lot of tactical positions and we know exactly what we have to do on the pitch, where I have to go and where the defenders have to go.”

It took Mourinho two seasons to get the best out Hazard and plenty of what he calls ‘confrontational leadership’, hammering Hazard in public and private to get a rise out of him.