Ex-Arsenal boss Wenger blames Eden Hazards weight for poor Real Madrid form as he compares Chelsea hero to a race horse

ARSENE WENGER reckons Eden Hazard is struggling at Real Madrid due to piling on the pounds – and compared him to a race horse.

The former Chelsea winger, 28, made the long-awaited 88million switch to the Bernabeu in the summer.

But he has failed to replicate his Stamford Bridge form with the La Liga giants just yet, registering just one goal in ten appearances.

Last night, he was largely ineffective as 18-year-old Rodrygo stole the show with a perfect hat-trick in the 6-0 drubbing of Galatasaray.

The Belgian attacker was hauled off by Zinedine Zidane with 68 minutes on the clock with Isco coming on in his place.

And former Arsenal chief Wenger believes the problem is not psychological but physical for Hazard.

Speaking as a pundit on beIN Sports, Wenger said: “He is not the type of guy to be [overawed at Madrid] but I don’t know him well enough to assess that.

“I think it was more down to physical reasons. He became too heavy and what you read in the papers.

“If you want to make a horse lose a race, you put two kilos on a horse of 500kgs and it’s enough.

“I feel we have not seen the Hazard we know in England yet.

“He was not physically fit after he was injured. He is not a player who is usually impressed by anything.

“But he looks to me that he doesn’t have the same confidence he had at Chelsea.”

The criticism surrounding Hazard’s weight this season is nothing new.

From the outset after linking up with his new team-mates, there were reports of him turning up overweight.

Fans then laid into him following his dire performance in the derby stalemate against Atletico, mocking his extra timber.

Hazard will be hopeful to add to his solitary strike – which came in the win over Granada on October 5 – before the international break as Real Madrid take on Eibar on Saturday.