This was in its own way a tale of two Belgians. At the end of which, for all Manchester United’s pressure in the second half, there was something fitting in Eden Hazard scoring the only goal of the game at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea took a decisive step towards the Premier League title.

It has been a title procession of two halves for José Mourinho’s team. The first was driven by the fluent attacking football of autumn, that giddy period when it was suggested – for reasons that still aren’t completely clear – that Chelsea might go all season unbeaten. The second part has been the more bloody-minded grinding of results this year as the feather boa has dropped, revealing the familiar scowling pragmatist beneath.

Through both parts, the best of this Chelsea team has always been Hazard, a lone inventive ball-carrying presence, and a player who has stuck to his task with great zeal from autumn to spring. Never mind tracking back: flying forward match after match with such pointed attacking responsibility also takes great heart and discipline. Even more tellingly, Hazard has come on strong when he might have faded at the last. The winning goal here was his fifth in seven games at the sharp end, four of those in victories by a single goal.

First, though, the other Belgian, and a minor tactical score for Mourinho. Much had been made in the buildup of Marouane Fellaini’s influence in United’s recent run, those flypaper-ish qualities under the high ball employed with devastatingly pragmatic good sense by Louis van Gaal. United’s Belgian has been the key figure in their two most significant recent victories, tenderising the right flanks of Liverpool and Manchester City and in the process pretty much minting a new position: direct football’s answer to the regista, a Pirlo of the skies encouraged to pull the ball out of the air and link the play wherever his instincts take him.

It was a challenge Mourinho was always likely to relish. There will be those among the partisans who see a stroke of tactical genius in the entirely sensible selection of Kurt Zouma here to combat an obvious strength. In reality Zouma was nicely dogged. Fellaini was a little less precise with his headers. Chelsea were tenacious in closing down Ashley Young. And with Wayne Rooney thrown away in midfield, United lacked any real cutting edge, Radamel Falcao performing a well-groomed variation on the basic idea of standing around quite close to some other people playing football.

Otherwise Chelsea were smart in defence, retreating and winning the second ball as Fellaini flicked on, and feeling the benefits of having four some-time central defenders on the pitch. At which point: enter Hazard. Before kick-off at a brilliantly sunlit Stamford Bridge, the prospect of Chelsea’s No10 running at Antonio Valencia always looked a possible source of incision. And with nine minutes gone Mourinho was already berating the assistant referee as Valencia barged into the back of his left winger.

You can see his point. Chelsea’s No10 is a unique Premier League player in many ways, not least in the number of times he is fouled. Hazard’s season’s total of 94 before this match was more than twice any other player on the pitch. Beyond this Hazard is unique in his ability to beat not just his marker but whoever happens to be lurking behind him, unmatched in England in his combination of speed, lateral spring and craft on the ball. Even as United pressed – a team that advances toward the opposition goal like a man skiing down a mountain run, all veering turns and lateral switches – he remained a lurking threat.

The winning goal, seven minutes before half-time, was created with a beautifully simple move. As Falcao tumbled in a challenge with Terry – a foul according to Van Gaal – the ball was shuttled forward to Oscar, whose reverse flick with his instep was perfectly timed, perfectly angled and perfectly conceived to find Hazard’s run into the box. The finish was low and hard through David de Gea’s legs.

There were some beautiful moments from Hazard in the second half. Twice he skipped away from Rooney, the first with an almost satirical sideways-step that came close to leaving Rooney on his backside. This isn’t really a criticism: Rooney isn’t really a midfielder.

Hazard almost scored again, flicking the ball on to the bar with the outside of his foot after Drogba’s shot had been deflected over De Gea. And in stoppage time he left the left the field to a standing ovation. Chelsea’s No10 has been their ace all year, not to mention a distinctly high-class gloss on a so-so Premier League season. As Van Gaal pointed out afterwards, on chances created United might easily have won. But at a demob-happy Stamford Bridge it was Chelsea who had the day’s decisive Belgian.