A tale of formation: Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz on different planets

Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz have both been victims of circumstance since joining Chelsea. The former was very much a Frank Lampard signing and, right up until an injury against Leeds, Ziyech was showing why the former manager wanted him so badly. Havertz feels like more of a board signing, but one with a great deal of potential (perhaps the most in the squad). His first bout of Covid, however, really set him back.

Then Thomas Tuchel arrived and switched to three at the back. Neither Ziyech nor Havertz had a natural role in the formation. Down an attacker, the two would have to pick up extra duties. Ziyech seemingly wilted under that. Havertz could only get consistent minutes up top, and even then it was pretty well assumed that the Blues would get a striker in the summer because Havertz wasn’t up to standard.

Tuchel stuck by his three at the back set up right up to the point he lost the linchpins for it: Reece James and Ben Chilwell. A few patchwork ideas later and Tuchel opted to go to a four at the back set up. Both Ziyech and Havertz had their career best form with that extra player up the pitch. So, in theory, both will have turned up for Chelsea, right?

It is never so simple. Ziyech and Havertz are currently on vastly different trajectories. The one that looked more out the door just months ago seems to be the way forward. The one that was the way forward is struggling to find minutes and barely influences the game in the ways that are expected. What is going on?

Ziyech has found his way at Chelsea now that the duties are spread out. He’s able to stay wide and choose when to come in to assist his team, but he also has more targets for his passing/crosses that turn into shots when they go in the net. He is able to press more efficiently and make a better use of his space around him on and off the ball. He didn’t cost much to begin with (relatively), but he is finally earning his keep again at Chelsea.

Havertz, however, is not. Honestly ask yourself when the last truly good game for Havertz was. Then ask yourself if that is recently enough for a player that cost £70 million. The best thing to happen to Havertz has been Romelu Lukaku because the Belgian has completely taken the spotlight off the German. Havertz’s age shouldn’t matter. He simply is not meeting the expectations he set in Germany nor set by his price tag.

And the stranger thing is that four at the back should open things up for Havertz. At Bayer Leverkusen, he was given a free, floating role in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3. Lampard tried this too and, at least until that first round of Covid, Havertz did decently enough for a young player in a new league. One Championship winning goal aside (which can’t be taken from him but please don’t use it as a metric of his overall quality), Havertz has rarely been as advertised.

Perhaps even more damning is that Lukaku, post interview and out of form, continues to start over Havertz game after game. And that’s just considering Havertz as a striker. The wings are being run by a Callum Hudson-Odoi who touches greatness as much as he touches frustration. Ziyech has his spot locked down. Deeper on the pitch in midfield, there is little surprise to see Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount hold those dual eight spots. Havertz, with or without goals and assists, simply doesn’t offer as much as either the Croatian or the Chelsea wonderkid many thought Havertz would be pushing out the starting XI.

Four at the back, whenever it came, was supposed to offer new life for Ziyech and Havertz. It has for the one that was closer to an exit than a future at Chelsea. The other player that is supposed to be a crowning jewel for years to come has truly failed to shine.