Chelsea: Three lessons learnt from Blues’ crushing of the Clarets
2. Hakim Ziyech is a magician
Let me preface this learnt lesson by saying I have always thought of Hakim Ziyech as magical. The fact that his nickname is the Moroccan Magician is a dead giveaway, but even for those who hadn’t heard the winger’s moniker before, his special ability has been evident for years. However, he not only reached his assumed glass ceiling on Saturday, he flew straight through it on the way to grabbing his Man of the Match award.
Ziyech’s arrival in west London has always been—and will continue to be—overshadowed by the signings of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and others. Much like Mendy though, a player of Ziyech’s ability was always needed in this side. Chelsea has struggled with creativity in the final third for years. Even when Eden Hazard’s greatness grazed the grass at Stamford Bridge, there were games where the Blues struggled to break down teams that sat behind the ball for the entirety of the match. Think about it, which teams have given Chelsea the most trouble over the last few seasons? Bournemouth, West Ham, Crystal Palace and even Sheffield United last campaign. Though Burnley has seldom given the Blues fits, the style of play is the same.
Ziyech’s creative vision and quickness with his left-foot on the right wing are the perfect trump cards against styles like Dyche’s. That said, by no means are Werner, Havertz, Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham being rendered useless, they just don’t offer as much against compact defenses. Ziyech’s brilliance was on full display at Turf Moor as he introduced himself to the English top flight with his first Premier League goal and a sensational assist. That brings his tally to two goals and a lone assist across one start in both the Premier League and Champions League.
The 27-year-old has the potential to end the year as the Blues’ signing of the summer. I’d be remiss if I didn’t give written recognition to Lampard in this sense. He—along with the Chelsea board—helped bring in a handful of players who could drastically change the course of the club for the better. The board and coaching staff did all of the heavy lifting, now they leave the task of sitting back and appreciating greatness to the wonderful supporters of Frank Lampard’s Blue and White Army.