Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was delighted with Eden Hazard's flair and resilience during the 2-0 win at Stoke on Monday evening.
Hazard, 23, showed plenty of skill in the Premier League contest, and it was his ball into the box in the 78th minute that set up Cesc Fabregas for the visitors' second goal.
But along with the Belgium international's creativity, Mourinho was also keen to praise the way Hazard -- like the rest of the Chelsea side -- handled the physical challenge the Potters posed at times.
Hazard was on the receiving end of a tough tackle early on from Phil Bardsley that earned the Potters defender a yellow card, though the forward was able to carry on until departing the field in stoppage time after being brought down by Jonathan Walters.
The challenge resulted in an apparent ankle problem -- the seriousness of which was unclear ahead of Chelsea's Boxing Day home clash with West Ham.
Asked about Hazard going on to influence Monday's game despite the bruising encounter with Bardsley, Mourinho said: "He did a lot and we need that.
"We played with [John Obi] Mikel and [Nemanja] Matic, so we lost one creative player.
"We had that stability in the team, and left to Hazard, Fabregas and Willian the responsibility to create, and they were not afraid to do that.
"They gave their bodies to the game and put themselves in every situation, and I think the kid [Hazard] was fantastic."
Chelsea went 1-0 up in the second minute through John Terry's header, and will spend Christmas three points clear of second-placed Manchester City at the top of the league as a result of the win.
Morinho indicated he felt Bardsley should have been sent off for the challenge on Hazard, but also stressed the match had been fairly fought overall.
"If the tackle on him [Hazard] was a bad one, it was an isolated action," he said. "Then, after that, it was a difficult fight for the kid -- but I think it was also a difficult match for Bardsley, because the kid is playing fantastically."