Chelsea

Frank Lampard singled out Billy Gilmour for praise after he put in a man-of-the-match performance against Liverpool to help Chelsea win 2-0 in the FA Cup on Tuesday. 

The manager hailed the 18-year-old's "fantastic performance" and said he was a "calm head" amid a frenetic start to the match at Stamford Bridge.

He continued:

"He's a throwback to the days of midfielders I grew up [watching]. And people will say can you put your foot in? Yes. Can you make angles to always get the ball? Yes. Can you play the right pass and pick the simple one at the right time? Yes. And he's got all that. 

"People might look at him and see that he's quite slight in his way, but he's huge in personality. Huge. So I'm absolutely delighted for him. 

"He deserves everything. He deserves man of the match, he deserves people talking about him."

Football journalist Dan Levene shared further comments from Lampard on the youngster:

Lampard on Billy Gilmour: "I've got absolute trust in Billy. When you watch him play... If he's small in stature he's huge in talent."
Says: "He does all the right things. And he's humble."
The whole Gilmour family was here tonight - including his nan from Scotland.

— Dan Levene (@danlevene) March 3, 2020

Willian gave Chelsea the lead in the 13th minute when Reds goalkeeper Adrian fumbled what should have been a routine save from the Brazilian's long-range strike.

Ross Barkley rifled home from 20 yards to make it 2-0 in the 64th minute:

It was Gilmour who stole the headlines, though, with an accomplished and all-action performance in midfield.

The teenager played with a level of composure that belied his age, broke up Liverpool's attacking play and looked to drive Chelsea forward whenever possible.

Gilmour was praised at half-time:

Billy Gilmour made the most passes and regained possession the most times for Chelsea in the first half. #CFC #CHELIV #FACup

— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) March 3, 2020

All things considered, an accomplished half by Billy Gilmour: in control, playing his own game at his own speed, always scanning. No different to what he does at youth level.

— SCOUTED (@scoutedftbl) March 3, 2020

He showed plenty of skill, too:

Look one way, go the other 👋

Billy Gilmour was magic tonight for @ChelseaFC!#UndertheLights #CHELIV pic.twitter.com/6OygjOEZ7Y

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) March 3, 2020

Here are the numbers behind his impressive showing:

Billy Gilmour’s game by numbers vs. Liverpool:

77% pass accuracy
30 forward passes
5 tackles
3 long balls
3 take-ons
2 clearances

A great performance, so it was. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 pic.twitter.com/rF0SNS9sqN

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) March 3, 2020

As his through ball to Olivier Giroud demonstrated, he can also offer creativity from midfield, too. In 15 matches for Chelsea at youth level this season, he has registered five assists as well as finding the back of the net twice.

The match was only his sixth first-team appearance for the Blues, but after a statement performance against a team of Liverpool's calibre, more games will surely be soon to follow.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has said there is no clear timetable for the return of Christian Pulisic or Tammy Abraham, and he has vowed to field a strong XI in the FA Cup clash with Liverpool.

Per Goal's Nizaar Kinsella, the Blues boss provided injury updates on several key players:

"I am hoping [Callum Hudson-Odoi] will be fit for next Sunday. Christian is the same as Tammy; there is no clear answer. [Tammy] went to Barcelona to have a look at his ankle for some more advice on it.

"We will have to work around [Jorginho's suspensions in the league and Champions League], we have players who can play there. [Mateo] Kovacic finished in the holding role, Ross Barkley, Mason Mount, Billy Gilmour, there are solutions and there might be opportunities for other players.

"[Ruben Loftus-Cheek] may get in the under-23s game on Monday, he missed the opportunity here, he had a small calf injury a week or two ago which stopped him playing in the under-23s game that I wanted him to, and I would like to see him complete a whole game."

Per George Flood of the London Evening Standard, he ruled out rotating his entire side for the cup match against the Reds:

"Cement and go for victory. It is Liverpool, our fans are coming in the FA Cup to try to overturn the best team in the land.

"It doesn't mean I might not change a couple of people. There might be something for freshness of legs or a couple of different options, but I won't pick a team to casually give minutes...(I'll) treat it like I would any Premier League game."

The Blues have been hit hard by the injury bug and have struggled of late as a result, with just one win in their last six Premier League outings. They couldn't get past Bournemouth at the weekend, playing out a 2-2 draw.

Both goals came from full-back Marcos Alonso, who had to make up for the struggles of the forwards:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-48YRCoH-I

Pulisic has been out since the New Year's Day match against Brighton & Hove Albion, while Abraham has been slowed by ankle pain. 

With Bayern Munich beating the Blues 3-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie, the FA Cup presents Chelsea with their best chance of winning silverware.

A strong finish to the Premier League campaign is arguably a higher priority, however, with a top-four spot guaranteeing a trip to next year's Champions League, regardless of Manchester City's appeal against their UEFA ban.

Confidence remains high in the dressing room, despite the poor run of results:

'We are still confident that we will be in the top four in May.' - Andreas Christensen 👊 pic.twitter.com/9bvL5LL1Dy

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 1, 2020

Chelsea will face Everton, Aston Villa and Manchester City in the league before the end of the month, but Lampard appears unwilling to prioritise those matches at this point.

Liverpool seem more vulnerable than at any point this season after suffering their first defeat of the Premier League campaign on Saturday against Watford. The Reds have lost two of their last three matches across all competitions.

Manager Jurgen Klopp is not expected to rotate his side too much for Tuesday's cup clash, but the Reds do have key fixtures against Atletico Madrid and Everton on the horizon within the next two weeks. One or two of his stars could get the day off as a result.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said his side need to improve at both ends of the pitch after they were held to a 2-2 draw at Bournemouth on Saturday.

Marcos Alonso opened and closed the scoring at the Vitality Stadium, either side of second-half goals from Jefferson Lerma and Josh King.

Lampard told reporters after the game: "We have to dig in at the moment. There are question marks in both boxes. We have to get that right."

The Blues had 23 shots on Saturday, six of which were on target. Striker Olivier Giroud was guilty of missing an excellent chance to make it 2-0 early in the second half before Bournemouth battled back with two goals in three minutes.

On Chelsea's finishing, Lampard added: "It is costing us. At the same time, you are going to have 23 chances, it creates the nervousness. It is a clear part of our season. We need to stick the ball in the back of the net."

The manager also gave an update on Tammy Abraham, who missed the match with an ankle injury:

Lampard on Abraham: "He went abroad, he went to Barcelona - to get some other eyes on the ankle. " Says he hopes it's not a long time issue.

— Dan Levene (@danlevene) February 29, 2020

Abraham missed Chelsea's 2-0 defeat to Manchester United earlier in February with the injury. He did manage to get on the pitch in their 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur and 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich as a substitute in their following matches.

He has been the Blues' biggest attacking threat this season with 15 goals and six assists to his name in all competitions, so Chelsea can ill afford to be without him long-term.

The 22-year-old has only scored twice in the Premier League since December 4, though, so his absence isn't the sole cause of Chelsea's struggles in the final third.

As football journalist Richard Jolly observed, wing-back Alonso—who also scored against Tottenham—has been their standout goal threat of late:

https://twitter.com/RichJolly/status/1233797981654200321

In a post-match interview with BBC Sport (h/t Goal's Chris Burton), Lampard said of the Spaniard: "Marcos Alonso has had a big week, but I don't want my left-back top of the scoring charts. I want our attackers scoring goals and they haven't."

He also touched on Chelsea's defending, though he said it would be less of an issue if his side were more clinical up front:

Lampard: "We work all week on the defence. It's hard to create actual situations." But he says with so many chances created, if those are scored then the focus isn't on the defence.

— Dan Levene (@danlevene) February 29, 2020

No team in the top half of the Premier League have conceded more than Chelsea's 39 goals this season.

The Blues have had some tricky fixtures recently, with games against Arsenal, Leicester City, United, Spurs and Bayern, but they've not kept a clean sheet in their last eight matches in all competitions—their last shutout came at home to Burnley on January 11.

Marcos Alonso scored twice for Chelsea on Saturday in the Premier League, but they were held to a 2-2 draw by Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. 

Alonso scored for the second league match running when he broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute.

Bournemouth battled back with two goals in three second-half minutes from Jefferson Lerma and Josh King, but Alonso netted again in the 85th minute to salvage a point.

The Cherries are unbeaten in their last three meetings with Chelsea. The Blues have not won against Bournemouth since they met in the Carabao Cup fifth round in 2018.

Bournemouth failed to capitalise on an excellent start, in which Philip Billing had two gilt-edged chances to score in the first five minutes.

The Dane's first effort was saved by Willy Caballero after he connected with a Jack Stacey cross, while the second he fired into the side netting after putting Fikayo Tomori under pressure.

Caballero made another save soon after to deny Callum Wilson, while at the other end, Chelsea finally began to show signs of life as Aaron Ramsdale had to be alert to a Mason Mount shot from the edge of the area.

The hosts managed to regain control after a frenetic start, and after mounting pressure, they opened the scoring when Alonso fired home on the rebound after Olivier Giroud had flicked a Reece James cross on to the bar.

https://twitter.com/RichJolly/status/1233777863758897153

Football writer Seb Stafford-Bloor gave his take on proceedings at the break:

HT: Bournemouth behind and deservedly so. Even Howe's counter-attack isn't working and for all but the first ten minutes Chelsea have had complete control. Nice finish from Alonso to give them the lead, but that's another goal they wouldn't have scored without Giroud.

— Seb Stafford-Bloor (@SebSB) February 29, 2020

Giroud should have made it 2-0 soon after the restart, but he contrived to miss the target from point-blank range.

The miss proved costly as Lerma and King netted in the 54th and 57th minutes. The former headed home a Ryan Fraser corner before the latter tapped in a Stacey cross.

Goal's Nizaar Kinsella put Bournemouth's comeback in perspective:

Bournemouth have only earned one point from a losing position all season. They could be earning three today. There's something about Chelsea. #CFC #BOUCHE

— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) February 29, 2020

It would have been 3-1 if not for Caballero, who kept out Wilson's half-volley soon after.

Alonso came to the hosts' rescue, though, when he headed in a rebound after Ramsdale had parried a shot from Pedro.

https://twitter.com/RichJolly/status/1233797981654200321

The Spaniard had the chance to win it for the Blues in injury time when he met a cross from Cesar Azpilicueta, but he headed wide.

Chelsea have not picked up consecutive league wins since November or kept a clean sheet in eight matches in all competitions.

           

What's Next

Bournemouth travel to Liverpool next Saturday while Chelsea welcome Everton to Stamford Bridge the following day, after hosting the Reds in the FA Cup on Tuesday.

                 

Chelsea will attempt to stabilise their fluctuating Premier League form on Saturday when they visit Bournemouth.

The Blues are clinging to fourth place in the table after just one win in their last five, with the chasing pack driving towards the UEFA Champions League qualification places.

Bournemouth are experiencing one of their most challenging campaigns since promotion to the top flight in 2015, and they are only two points clear of the relegation zone.

             

Time: 3 p.m. GMT, 10 a.m. ET

Date: Saturday, Feb. 29

TV: Sky Sports 1 (UK), NBCSN (USA)

Stream:  Sky Go, NBC Sports App

Odds: Bournemouth: 19-5, Chelsea: 71-100, draw: 57-20 (via Caesars Palace)

             

Preview

Chelsea's 3-0 first-leg defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League wasn't the perfect way to prepare for their next match.

The Blues' defensive problems became apparent once more on Tuesday, when the Bundesliga champions took full advantage of the inexperience in Frank Lampard's team.

Chelsea's early-season form was promising, but they're now 13th in the latest Premier League form guide over the past five matches, per Transfermarkt.

However, the trip to Bournemouth might allow the Blues the opportunity to find their rhythm again.

Eddie Howe's team have lost the fearlessness they've shown in previous campaigns, but they have earned one point more than Chelsea over the last five games.

With matches running out before the end of the season, the Cherries must find a way of putting together a run to ensure their Premier League survival.

Bournemouth shocked Chelsea on their visit to Stamford Bridge on December 14, when they claimed a 1-0 victory.

Howe will hope his men can repeat that feat at home against an inconsistent Blues team.

Chelsea could be without Tammy Abraham due to a troublesome ankle injury after he picked up the problem during the warm-down following the defeat to Bayern. The striker has struggled to sustain full fitness in recent weeks.

The 22-year-old was key to the Blues' early success this term, and his 13 Premier League goals have been vital to Lampard and his team.

Bournemouth have lost 15 league games this season, and Chelsea will be hoping their hosts don't suddenly click into form at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.

Olivier Giroud has conceded that Chelsea need a miracle if they're to progress in the UEFA Champions League after losing 3-0 at home to Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

The Frenchman has not given up hope, though.

Per Goal's Nizaar Kinsella, he said:

"It's going to be almost impossible. We need to go there with belief, to believe that we can score. You never know. They scored three here, so we need to go there and score three and not concede. I'm not joking.

"So, we have nothing to lose, we're going to play our game maybe with more freedom."

The striker added that the one-sided nature of the contest at Stamford Bridge was "deflating" and the Blues found it "very hard to come back psychologically" after Serge Gnabry netted a quick-fire brace to set Bayern on their way early in the second half.

The former Arsenal winger broke the deadlock for Bayern in the 51st minute from a Robert Lewandowski cutback.

He netted again in the 54th minute after Lewandowski slipped him in.

The Pole got on the scoresheet himself when he converted Alphonso Davies' cross before Marcos Alonso was sent off for catching Lewandowski in the face with his arm (US, UK only, respectively):

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1232413215038066689

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1232413809509355521

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1232419370896412673

Bayern have won all seven of their Champions League fixtures this season, including a 7-2 victory at Tottenham Hotspur in October:

In the space of five months, Bayern Munich have inflicted Tottenham’s worst ever European home defeat and Chelsea's worst ever European home defeat.

— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) February 26, 2020

Having shipped three away goals, the Blues have slim chances of progressing—not least given their recent record in the Champions League knockout phase:

#CFC haven't won a knock-out game in the Champions League game since 2014. Just a sign that the drop in quality isn't a sudden thing.

— Simon Johnson (@SJohnsonSport) February 25, 2020

They'll head to the Allianz Arena on March 18 without the suspended Alonso or Jorginho, who picked up his third yellow card of the competition on Tuesday.

What's more, Chelsea have only scored more than twice away from home on four occasions this season in all competitions: against Norwich City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Southampton and Burnley.

Doing so against a team of Bayern's calibre will be considerably more difficult, particularly given they've only shipped three or more goals in a game twice this season.

The first was a 5-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt under Niko Kovac; the second was against Hoffenheim earlier in February, but Bayern won that game 4-3.

Realistically, Chelsea would also need to keep a clean sheet to have a chance of progressing, and the Bavarians have only failed to find the net once all season.     

Willian has said he has reached a potential impasse with Chelsea over contract negotiations, which could see him leave the club at the end of the season.

The Brazilian's deal expires in June, and he explained after the Blues' 3-0 loss to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday that the Premier League club are refusing to give him the new three-year contract he wants, per Esporte Interativo (h/t Metro):

"Chelsea offered me two years, and they are not going to change what they offered. I said I wanted three more years. The situation is difficult because of this, I really don't know if it will be possible. My goal is to continue working and focus on this remainder of the season so that Chelsea can continue winning the games for the remainder of the season. I have a clear head and focused for the rest of the season that we have left."

Willian admits he could leave Chelsea at the end of the season as he doesn't know "if it's going to be possible" to agree a new contract

(🎥 @Esp_Interativo) https://t.co/qyi0t8jIOP

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 26, 2020

Willian, 31, joined Chelsea from Anzhi Makhachkala for £30 million back in 2013.

He has won two Premier League titles while at Stamford Bridge, as well as the 2018-19 UEFA Europa League, the 2017-18 FA Cup and the 2014-15 Capital One Cup.

The Brazil international also won Chelsea's Player of the Year award in 2015-16, when he was one of few bright sparks during a campaign when the Blues finished 10th in the Premier League, their worst finish since 1995-96.

Under Frank Lampard in 2019-20, Willian has played in 26 of Chelsea's 27 Premier League games, scoring four goals and providing four assists.

He has also played in all seven of the Blues' Champions League matches this term, although he was only used as a substitute in Tuesday's humbling against Bayern.

The German champions were ruthless at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of their last-16 tie.

Serge Gnabry's double and Robert Lewandowski's goal all but ended Chelsea's 2019-20 European campaign with the return leg still to play:

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1232419370896412673

Lewandowski's first goal in the knockout stages in two years!

Put on a plate by Alphonso Davies, absolutely rapid 🔥 pic.twitter.com/JaVHwcxsmT

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 25, 2020

It was a stark display of how far Chelsea are now from being able to compete with the European elite, and it could act as a catalyst for a summer clear-out in west London.

Given his latest comments, Willian could be part of that.

He has been a fine servant for Chelsea over the past seven years, but he is now in his 30s and does not represent the future of the club. 

Frank Lampard said his Chelsea side were "outclassed in pretty much every department" by Bayern Munich in their 3-0 UEFA Champions League loss at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. 

Serge Gnabry's double and Robert Lewandowski's goal in the last-16 first leg all but ended Chelsea's chances of making the quarter-finals of Europe's premier club competition this season.

It was the Blues' heaviest home defeat in the Champions League, and it could have been worse:

3 - Chelsea's 3-0 loss to Bayern Munich is their heaviest ever margin of defeat in a home game in European competition. Humbled. #CHEBAY pic.twitter.com/7fogH1yN2T

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 25, 2020

Chelsea 0 Bayern Munich 3 at FT. Scoreline does not actually reflect just how much better than Chelsea they were. Very sharp, very impressive. Chelsea hopelessly outclassed.

— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) February 25, 2020

Lewandowski's goal in the 76th minute summed up Chelsea's night as four Blues players were left for dead by the superb Alphonso Davies in the build-up:

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1232419370896412673

Lewandowski's first goal in the knockout stages in two years!

Put on a plate by Alphonso Davies, absolutely rapid 🔥 pic.twitter.com/JaVHwcxsmT

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 25, 2020

Lampard made no excuses after a chastening 90 minutes for his Chelsea side, per BT Sport (h/t MailOnline's Daniel Matthews):

"That's football at this level. The levels of Bayern Munich were fantastic. ... It was a harsh lesson of reality for the players. If you go for 90 minutes you have to show more than we showed. ... [The players] need to use this to a positive effect. It might not feel like that this evening, but they need to understand the levels in the Champions League when you reach the knockout stages. They outclassed us in pretty much every department, so it was quite sobering."

Lampard, who was part of the Chelsea side that shocked Bayern to win the 2012 Champions League final, added that he would "never say the door is closed" on making the quarter-finals:

"It's a reality check for the work that needs to be done."

A chastening night for Frank Lampard and his young Chelsea side. A chance to refocus and rebuild.

🎙 @DesKellyBTS pic.twitter.com/brkRbdx4M8

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 25, 2020

But the Blues will need a performance better than anything they have shown this season if they are to overturn the deficit in the return leg on March 18, not least as Jorginho and Marcos Alonso will miss the game due to suspension.

Perhaps more concerning for Lampard and Chelsea is how they respond to such a chastening loss when they return to Premier League action at Bournemouth on Saturday.

The Blues have won just five of their last 15 games in the English top flight and are only clinging on to fourth spot in the table due to the inconsistencies of the clubs below them:

Movement in the top half of the table#PL pic.twitter.com/GZ9PVIKGW7

— Premier League (@premierleague) February 23, 2020

It will take a miracle for Chelsea's Champions League campaign to continue beyond the last-16 second leg this season.

But they still have control over whether they return to the tournament next season. They could be aided in their task by the fact fifth place may secure Champions League qualification after Manchester City's two-year UEFA ban.

Chelsea need to find some consistency quickly, though, because a couple more poor results could see them drop as low as eighth depending on how their competitors fare. 

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has accepted Bayern Munich are considered the favourites for their UEFA Champions League clash on Tuesday but said his side can still come out on top if they're at their best.

The Blues host the German side at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of their last-16 tie. 

Lampard said:

"When you look at their team, the talent they have, the medals they have, the experience they have...maybe we don't have that experience.

"But it's there to turn it around; to overcome being the underdog. Those are the best stories in sport. I understand if people call us the underdogs because Bayern are so strong."

Goal's Nizaaar Kinsella relayed further comments from the coach:

Lampard on his message to youth players: "They have to understand the levels and the mindset going in. We have to make sure going into the game that every detail and box is ticked. We can't get caught up in moments. There will be times when we will suffer." #CFC #UCL

— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) February 24, 2020

Lampard is aware of what it takes to overcome a Bayern side as an underdog. He was part of the Chelsea team that beat the Bundesliga giants on penalties in the 2012 final at their Allianz Arena.

There is probably a bigger gap between the two sides this time around, though. Chelsea beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on Saturday, but in their five matches prior to that their only victory came against Hull City in the FA Cup.

They haven't always convinced at Stamford Bridge this season, either. The Blues have already lost seven times there in all competitions as well as being held to four draws.

By contrast, Bayern have won 10 of their last 11 games in all competitions, drawing the other.

Lampard is also aware of the threat posed by Robert Lewandowski, who is enjoying a sensational season even by his standards:

Lampard on facing Lewandowski: "Concern isn't the word. Form of his life is something significant for him because he has been some player for a number of years."

"He is just top class, everything about him, having looked at Bayern, that shines through." #CFC #UCL

— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) February 24, 2020

The Pole has notched 38 goals in just 32 matches this season:

Robert Lewandowski's 2019-20

Bundesliga
👕 23
⚽ 25

DFB-Pokal
👕 3
⚽ 3

Champions League
👕 5
⚽ 10

Incredible 🤯 pic.twitter.com/FZp2lac4mE

— GOAL (@goal) February 21, 2020

He needs one more strike to make this his most prolific season in the Champions League, and six more overall for this to be the most prolific of his career.

The 31-year-old would be dangerous enough to any side, but Chelsea could be particularly vulnerable.

Of the teams to reach the last 16, only Tottenham and Atalanta shipped more goals in the group stage than the Blues.

In the Premier League, 10th-place Burnley are the only top-half side to have conceded more than Chelsea's 37 goals.

Hakim Ziyech said Chelsea manager Frank Lampard played a big role in his decision to leave Eredivisie side Ajax and move to Stamford Bridge.

The 26-year-old spoke to Ajax TV (h/t Chelsea's official website) about his forthcoming move to west London and was asked about the part that the legendary midfielder had played in persuading him to make the move:

"A big role. We had a lot of contact in the last couple of weeks and he gave me a good feeling and that was also big to do with the decision.

"It [Chelsea] is a big club in a big competition. I like the style of play, they play really attacking football, and that is something that fits me and that is one of the biggest reasons I chose therefore."

The attacking midfielder/winger has agreed a five-year deal with the Blues and will move to the Premier League side in the summer after an impressive spell with the Dutch giants.

Ziyech will cost the Blues an initial £33.3 million, but the fee "could rise to £36.7 million depending on add-ons," according to Joe Shread at Sky Sports.

The Morocco international joined Ajax from FC Twente in 2016 and has been a key member of the team's attack, as highlighted by Opta:

166 - Hakim Ziyech has been directly involved in 166 goals since his Eredivisie debut (79 goals & 87 assists), at least 36 more than any other player. Blue. pic.twitter.com/iUDp580SFI

— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) February 12, 2020

The Netherlands native is in a tier of his own when it comes to creating chances in the Dutch top flight:

421- Hakim Ziyech has created 421 goalscoring chances for teammates in the Dutch Eredivisie since his Ajax debut in September 2016; 134 more than any other player. Threatening. pic.twitter.com/zcLPt3X4lT

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 12, 2020

Ziyech has played against Chelsea twice this season in the UEFA Champions League group stage and was involved in three of his side's goals in a thrilling 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge in November.

Ajax failed to qualify from the group, but Ziyech has certainly thrived in Europe's top tournament after helping the team reach the semi-finals last season:

⚪️🔴⚪️ Hakim Ziyech in the #UCL in 2019 = 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/FMbJaVqoIb

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 29, 2019

Ziyech's arrival will help add an attacking edge and creativity that Chelsea have struggled to replicate since Eden Hazard left in the summer for Real Madrid. He is more than ready to make the next step in his career and looks an exciting first signing by Lampard.