Hakim Ziyech: High risk, reward isn’t a gamble that works for Chelsea

Hakim Ziyech wasn’t an unknown when he signed for Chelsea. For several seasons, it seemed a matter of when, not if, he would move to a bigger league than the Eredivisie. Ajax soaring in Champions League with Ziyech leading the way only increased the fervor. And yet, year after year, he remained.

It wasn’t until Frank Lampard’s Chelsea was finally able to make signings that Ziyech got his move. Described as a high risk, high reward player, he seemed a good fit for a manager that wanted his side to play much the same. In the early days, Ziyech did rather well in Lampard’s system. In fact, the collapse in December/January coincided nearly perfectly with Ziyech’s abscense due to injury.

When Ziyech returned, Thomas Tuchel was manager and things weren’t the same. Tuchel isn’t a possession for possession’s sake sort of manager but he does value it and Ziyech’s high risk, high rewards weren’t worth it to the German. The closest Ziyech’s gotten to the first team under Tuchel has been after a very good preseason. Since then, his form has dropped off and injuries have again piled up.

Ziyech was a bit of a gamble for Chelsea to sign. Players his age don’t stay in the Eredivisie unless something is missing. While he’s had good moments at Chelsea, overall Hakim Ziyech simply hasn’t justified the high risk, high reward gamble of his transfer. As already mentioned, some of that is the manager switch but even with Lampard there were signs of struggle.

Ziyech has made 47 appearances for Chelsea. He’s started 29 of those, not an unrespectable number. He’s only finished two of those. Yes, Ziyech has only played two matches for Chelsea from start to finish (once for Lampard, once for Tuchel). Maybe that is a fitness concern, maybe it is a quality concern. Regardless, it simply isn’t good enough for a club of this caliber. Mateo Kovacic got a similar reputation of being subbed off and never finishing matches, yet he played 14 matches start to finish for Maurizio Sarri and another 21 for Lampard in his full season.

The percentile stats for the last year show a mixed bag, but one that very much points to the risk/reward nature that’s been discussed. Ziyech is in the 90th percentile for shots, 95th for shot creating actions, 92nd for passes attempted and 93rd for progressive passes. His xAssists is also a very high 87th percentile. That’s the reward.

The risk is a pass completion percentage in the 42nd percentile. Carries in the 56th and dribbles in the 44th. He tries a lot and when it works it is great, but it doesn’t work far too often. That might be covered by a good work rate, but his highest defensive percentile is pressures at just 61.

Ziyech suited Lampard’s style of playing fast and living on the edge, but he very much doesn’t work with Tuchel’s more methodical approach. The rewards are too few for the risks he brings to Chelsea. He isn’t trusted to start many matches, let alone finish almost any at all.

And this is all frustrating because the talent is there. His performances in the Champions League, in his early days at Chelsea, and in preseason didn’t just come from nowhere. But at the moment they aren’t really coming from anywhere.

It’s becoming increasingly hard to see Ziyech at Chelsea even next season. There is time yet this season to turn things around (especially with all the injuries), but it will take something truly magical to flip the script now.