It would be highly disingenuous for anyone to act completely amazed that Hakim Ziyech is actually a talented player. Chelsea supporters should have known that from the moment he masterfully curled in a free-kick at the Matthew Harding End in 2019 for Ajax, turning to the stunned home crowd and calmly shrugging his shoulders.
That was an encapsulation of the Moroccan's best attribute, moments of artistry and flair. Ziyech is not an automaton or a robot to be programmed into boredom. He needs a sense of responsibility and freedom, something that arguably has been absent at Chelsea since Frank Lampard, the coach who pushed for his signature, departed.
In Qatar, the 29-year-old has managed to shrug off the frustrations in London, excelling in his nation's remarkable run to Wednesday's World Cup semi-final against France.
