Chelsea forward Hakim Ziyech gives his thoughts on wonder goal against Tottenham Hotspur
Speaking after his side’s 2-0 home win against their London neighbours Tottenham Hotspur (h/t Mirror), Chelsea forward Hakim Ziyech has rated his opening goal as a 10/10 and admitted that he did not expect his strike to go in. For the second game running, the Moroccan has provided the Blues with the opening strike, continuing his good run of form.
In midweek, Ziyech had a shot from distance go into the opposition net as Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion. The winger repeated his antics once again last night, curling in an effort from outside the box that saw it nestle in the top corner of the Spurs goal.
Ziyech conceded that he thought his effort was going over the bar before it dipped drastically to leave Hugo Lloris rooted. The French World Cup winner was helpless and could only watch the ball fly into his net.
“Nah, I was following the ball but I thought I hit it a little bit hard, then in the end I saw it go in. I think it was a 10/10!”
Ziyech was arguably the best player on the pitch, creating loads of opportunities for his teammates and keeping the Spurs defenders on their toes throughout the game. A fine goal from the winger to open the proceedings at Stamford Bridge set the tone for the rest of the game, with Chelsea scoring once again eight minutes later through a Thiago Silva header.
The Morocco international’s goal marked his second strike in as many games and the forward had different celebrations for each goal. Last night’s celebration saw a smile on the player’s face and had his teammates mob him with joy.
When asked about the different tones in celebrations, the 28-year-old explained that it was two different situations that he found himself in at the time, and hence two different celebrations. Clearly, he was not giving much away.
“I think it’s two different situations. The game against Brighton we didn’t play well so there was a little bit of frustration. But I think today we played well. Had a lot of chances and good football.”
Ziyech seems to be finally enjoying his football at the moment, after being underwhelming in previous fixtures and not able to claim a starting spot in coach Thomas Tuchel‘s plans. The winger was signed from Ajax Amsterdam for his darting runs at opposition defences and penchant for eye-catching goals, but the Moroccan failed to initially find his feet at Stamford Bridge.
Ziyech has come through what has personally been a topsy-turvy week for him, being criticised for his lack of celebration against Brighton in the previous game, only for him to shut critics up with an imposing display in midfield last night. The player seems to have found his old swagger back in what was probably his best display in a Chelsea shirt.
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With last night’s goal, Ziyech is sure to have forced his way into Tuchel’s plans after being frustrated by the lack of opportunities in recent weeks. The Moroccan also did not feature for his national side at the Africa Cup of Nations, so he would be feeling better at finally being the main man for his team and delivering when they need him most.
We can hope that the player regains his form and confidence from Ajax and show us exactly what he is capable of. Hopefully, he can put up a good run of results, leading us to a strong second half to the season.
