Who takes the penalty? Hazard or Costa?

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

If Drogba playing, we should give it to him, lol. He is the man to score in any 'final' match.

Just kidding, Hazard to take the penalty. Just as someone mentioned that if anyone asked Hazard, he will give it. I would say if Hazard offer it to Costa, Costa will refuse and give the ball back to Hazard and said something 'you take it', even if Costa who make that penalty happen.

We're proud to have players like this.

[Fulham Broadway 17,299]

Hazard, no doubt about it imo.

[Henrique 9,133]

Hazard. Not sure why even ask.

[Daniel1980 1,425]

Costa is a poor PK taker. I'm pretty sure he isn't even our second choice penalty taker. When Hazard didn't play, Fabregas took the penalty against Sporting even though Costa was on the pitch and was hungry for his first CL goal. That's pretty telling.

[Milan 17,955]

Eden is the man, not one single doubt about it. His technique of looking at the goalkeeper the whole time has been pretty amazing. He has 100% conversion in the EPL, only two misses for Chelsea in the Champions League.

As for Diego, I am not so sure about him being a poor penalty taker. I have seen him score a few but also miss some, okay. I will always remember his penalty against us at the Bridge. It convinced me that he is the man to lead our attack.

It took the whole 90 seconds before he put it past Schwarzer. 90 seconds of some arrogance, maybe a bad pitch and most important, 90 seconds of shouting, whistling and screaming from the stands. He coped with the pressure in some style.

[Milan 17,955]

However, that brings me to another issue. In case of a penalty shootout, who would be your five players you would want to step up? Hazard, Fabregas, Drogba, Costa, Oscar? Assuming all of them will be still playing after the 120-minute mark. Other candidates? Maybe Luis? Our penalty shootout record is not among the best ones so it would be a nice change to have more players perfectly able to convert from the spot.

[Strike 7,474]

I remember Costa missed 3-4 penalties or something last season?

Either way its Hazard

[Strike 7,474]

What was Drogba's penalty record like before that game? Had he even took much? He took some after which I know off but not before that game. Costa could have scored all his penalties for Atletico but I still would want Hazard as the penalty taker.

hadn't taken many that year but i remember a graphic showing he'd scored his previous 5

However, that brings me to another issue. In case of a penalty shootout, who would be your five players you would want to step up? Hazard, Fabregas, Drogba, Costa, Oscar? Assuming all of them will be still playing after the 120-minute mark. Other candidates? Maybe Luis? Our penalty shootout record is not among the best ones so it would be a nice change to have more players perfectly able to convert from the spot.

yeah. those are pretty much the ones i'd go with. people who have faced the pressures of a penalty before. Maybe add Remy to that?

[Daniel1980 1,425]

As for Diego, I am not so sure about him being a poor penalty taker. I have seen him score a few but also miss some, okay. I will always remember his penalty against us at the Bridge. It convinced me that he is the man to lead our attack.

I wouldn't call someone who failed to score 4 penalties last season a good penalty taker. I wouldn't want him to take PKs for us when we have players who take PKs better.

[The Mak 4,459]

Costa does not have consistent quality with his pens, even though I have money on him to be top scorer (at 7/1 mind) I wouldn't even have him second.

1. Hazard.

2. Drogba. (if playing)

3. Cesc.

4. Costa.

[Jase 43,479]

Alright. Little debate me and CMS have been having in the Lampard thread. When we beat Wigan a few seasons ago 8-0 to win the league title under Ancelotti, CMS believes Lampard showed signs of selfishness. We were 1-0 up at the time and we had a penalty to make it 2-0. This was a must win game, otherwise United would have won the title. Anyway Drogba wanted to take the penalty as he was aiming for the top goalscorer award and threw a little strop because Lampard, the designated and most reliable penalty taker refused and he took it himself which he converted.

CMS believes this is proof of how selfish Lampard is. I disagree as I state it is club before player. We had plenty of minutes remaining to score more goals and for Drogba to achieve that personal award which he ended up doing. We also got another penalty in that game which Lampard had no problem in letting Drogba take as the game was secured by then.

No offence but I wonder how much of CMS' point of view there had to do with Lampard playing for Manchester City right now and how much of it is objective. If Lampard was selfish in that situation, then what about Drogba? Wasn't he being selfish as well, wanting to take the penalty for his own personal glory rather than focusing on the team's? We may be 1-0 up then against 10 men but there was no guarantee we were going to win that game until we make sure of it, even with 70-75 minutes still to go.

Moreover, Drogba hardly took our penalties back then and we don't know how reliable he was. What if he blew it? Lampard, on the other hand, was our first choice and we knew he's extremely reliable from the spot. So, him taking the spot kick at 1-0 was the right and logical decision. Had he not given the second penalty to Drogba when we were 4-0 up (IIRC), then he is selfish. Otherwise, no. The team's success comes before the individual's.

This. Didi asked for the one in CL against Maribor this season and Eden gave it to him.

And Mourinho wasn't happy after the game as well. So unless the game is totally safe, it's highly unlikely Mourinho will allow anyone else but his designated first choice penalty takers to convert from 12 yards.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Hazard's technique isn't that great if the goalkeeper stands up. He scores so often because he waits for the keeper to bend their knee, indicating which way they intend to dive. If you stay still, as Maribor's Jasmin Handanovic and Jesper Hansen of Nordsjaelland both did, it makes it difficult for Eden as he has to try and open his foot to put it in either corner from very close proximity to the ball. I don't think it'll be long before more goalkeepers work that out tbh.