Chelsea may just have found their Eden Hazard replacement.
Now, I do not mean someone who has quick feet and his vast locker of skills, but someone who's a target for the opposition. Hakim Ziyech, come and claim the throne.
Chelsea took on Newcastle over the weekend and was fortunate enough to take the three points. It started as another one of those games where the Blues would fail to get across the finish line. Albeit, Newcastle had put on an absolutely dangerous performance. They looked a shadow of the team that they once were earlier in the season. Their take-over has clearly given them new energy, and it tampered with Chelsea's performance.
The Magpies gave the Blues a good game, bringing back nostalgic moments through Ziyech.
The Hazard era gave Chelsea fans many memories. He was once the most fouled player in the Premier League. He had a notorious reputation for being at the brunt end of the stick, or should I say boot. According to Opta, in 2019, Eden Hazard was the most fouled player ever, ahead of Lionel Messi and Neymar. He had won 1030 fouls during that decade, hundreds more than any other player.
It took a while for referees to notice that he was a target for many Premier League defenders. Heck, his current injury record is probably a result of his years in England.
An accumulation of fouls rendered the Belgian magician incapable of fulfilling his dream at Real Madrid. Now I fear for the Moroccan wizard.
We all know how frustrating it is to watch your player be fouled on several occasions but fail to receive protection from the referee. Ziyech won a total of four fouls against Newcastle. Watching the match back, it should have been more. Each occasion had the men in black and white nibbling at his ankle, throwing themselves to stop the wizard at work. Eddie Howe managed to stop the Ziyech from casting his dangerous balls into the final third.
I guess I understand why Howe's men made him their target. Once unleashed, Ziyech possesses a wicked left foot that could have devasted Newcastle's hopes for gaining three points.
The lack of fouls given and yellow cards produced had gotten to the Moroccan's head. Fifty-seven minutes into the match, he fouls Bruno Guimaraes and receives a yellow card as punishment, to his surprise. Ziyech was quick to run to the referee pleading his case, also vividly pointing out with his fingers the number of fouls against him that David Coote had failed to pick up on.
It had given me Hazard flashbacks from several games where the magician just could not be stopped.
Players such as Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish continue to follow in Hazard's footsteps. Their dribbling and skill attract danger from the opposition, and unfortunately, they become victims. Ziyech could be falling into that territory, and I hope he remains protected. He doesn't have the flashy skills, the stepovers, and frightening 1v1s in his locker. He's a simple man with a brilliant left foot.
In fact, I'm quite surprised that he was the most fouled Chelsea player on the pitch against Newcastle. Teams are starting to see just how dangerous he can be, so it's up to the referees to prevent him from going down the Eden Hazard path.
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