There was plenty of celebrating to do on Wednesday night as Chelsea captured yet another European trophy. The Blues defeated Europa League winner Villarreal 6-5 in penalties (1-1 AET) to lift the UEFA Super Cup and kick off their season in style. The victory marks the second time the club has won European silverware in the last four months, both wins coming under Thomas Tuchel. The Chelsea Empire now seems to be at the height of its powers and Tuchel’s men are a force to be reckoned with in 2021/22.
While the midweek win was cause for celebration, it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing throughout. The Blues dominated the opening 40 minutes of the match only to find themselves on the back foot once a substitution was made right before the break. Hakim Ziyech, the goalscorer on the night, suffered an unfortunate shoulder injury while defending a Villarreal corner and had to come off.
Hakim Ziyech’s injury is cause for concern in the short term for Chelsea
Ziyech took his seat on the bench following the halftime team talk and he was out to celebrate the victory with his teammates. The 28-year-old received his medal and took photographs with the trophy after the match. His right arm was in a sling the entire time. It’ll probably be a few days before supporters are aware of the severity of Ziyech’s injury. Chelsea flew back to London after the victory and it’s highly unlikely the Moroccan made his way to Cobham—or wherever else he needs to be—along with the medical staff to get tests done. Nevertheless, the injury is a huge concern in the short term.
Ziyech has been the Blues’ best player thus far. He netted five goals (three against Peterborough, two against Tottenham) in preseason before adding to that total on Wednesday evening. The versatile forward has formed an unbreakable bond with Callum Hudson-Odoi on either side of the pitch that adds a whole new dimension to Chelsea’s attack. Ziyech’s lethal left foot and knack for creating excellent chances out of nowhere are traits absent elsewhere in Tuchel’s team.
The Blues will now be limited for the foreseeable future going forward. Christian Pulisic possesses similar creative abilities, but he’s not looked quite himself throughout the last few weeks. His appearance Wednesday night was largely uninspiring. Further, the news that Romelu Lukaku will not be present when Chelsea opens its domestic season on Saturday against Crystal Palace is another blow to the Blues. Tuchel is now almost forced to trot out Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Pulisic just a few days after the Super Cup. While this wouldn’t normally be a concern, each of the aforementioned names played an important role in Belfast, playing 120, 65 and 80 minutes respectively.
The injury is also another setback for the Wizard. Ziyech has had a rough go of things since making the move over from Ajax last season. He suffered an injury in Chelsea’s lone preseason game against Brighton last year, sidelining him for a number of weeks, and picked up a knock during the winter that saw his form dip upon recovery. Now, just as he gets back to the height of his game, he finds himself out once again. Ziyech is by no means an irreplaceable cog in Tuchel’s machine long term but he can be if he gets an extended period of time on the pitch—especially with Lukaku on the other end of his accurate, left-footed crosses.
Here’s to hoping Ziyech’s injury is nothing serious and he can return to the pitch soon because the Moroccan truly is a treat to watch on his best days.