Pundits issue honest Leandro Trossard and Eden Hazard verdicts after Brighton star hits sensational hat-trick at Liverpool

It comes after the Albion fan favourite bagged a stunning hat-trick against Liverpool on Saturday.

The 27-year-old became just the third player to put three goals or more past the Reds at Anfield in the Premier League era.

The last player to achieve this feat was Andrei Arshavin. The Russian struck four times in Arsenal’s thrill-a-minute 4-4 draw at Liverpool in 2008-09.

Trossard has been an integral part of the Seagulls’ unlikely rise to fourth in the Premier Leagye. He has netted five goals, and provided two assists, in seven league games this campaign.

Former Chelsea hero Hazard, meanwhile, has only played 158 minutes with Real Madrid this season.

The 31-year-old skippered Belgium as they beat Wales 2-1 at home in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday, September 22. The wide-man played 65 minutes before he was replaced by Trossard.

Hazard took the captain’s armband again three days later as the Red Devils were beaten 1-0 in the Netherlands. The defeat saw Oranje pip Belgium to a place in next summer’s UEFA Nations League Finals. Hazard was, again, replaced by Trossard, this time on 64 minutes.

Following Trossard’s man of the match performance in the 3-3 draw at Liverpool, pundits in Belgium could not quite comprehend why the winger wasn’t starting for the Red Devils.

Speaking to Extra Time, respected Belgian analyst Filip Joos said: "He is really in great shape. And I can't explain why Eden Hazard was allowed to play against Wales and the Netherlands.

"The big problem is, you can't recover from that. As a national coach you have said, actually I don't have that confidence in you, I prefer the eternal bench player over you in two important matches."

"Even if you drop him now at the World Cup, I think you still won't see the loose Trossard from Brighton. I don't think it's correct. You've already offended him."

Belgian radio commentator Peter Vandenbempt was also critical of Martínez’s decision to pick Hazard ahead of Trossard.

He added: “The explanation cannot be that you have to give Hazard minutes. I'm not an exercise physiologist, but he’s played for an hour twice in September, and then he didn’t play again until mid-November. You don't get much benefit from that."