Hakim Ziyech has frustrated Chelsea fans a lot in his 18 months at the club so far, but the last couple of games have seen him at his best, and yesterday he really put in a shift to help his team win.
What was impressive in particular was not his creativity in fact, but his defending. According to the FBRef stats, he made 21 pressing actions in the game, the most of any Chelsea player.
That hard work paid off too – that pressing lead to 5 tackles, also a team high.
The work rate was really notable from the whole XI last night, and with Ziyech leading from the front they had little option but to join him. Juventus looked slow and old and ponderous – but more than anything they just looked incapable of playing through a well organised and enthusiastic press as lead by the Moroccan.
For all the frustration he sometimes brings, his qualities are obvious too.
