Ben Chilwell has praised Hakim Ziyech for his recent starring performances and revealed that the Chelsea squad were all ‘buzzing’ for the winger after his winner in last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final win.
The 28-year-old made the switch from Ajax to Chelsea last summer in a deal worth £33.3million but his start to life at Stamford Bridge was halted by a number of niggling injuries.
Ziyech’s appearances have been sporadic and he has generally struggled to replicate his fine form at Ajax, however, over recent weeks he has begun to show his class on the pitch.
The Morocco international netted in the second leg of Chelsea’s last-16 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and also sealed his side’s passage into the FA Cup final with a crucial winner against Manchester City last Saturday.
And speaking to Chelsea’s official website, Chilwell revealed his delight over Ziyech’s recent contributions after a ‘difficult’ debut season.
‘He has had a few niggles this season that unfortunately have not allowed him to get that rhythm, that flow of games,’ said Chilwell.
‘But he has scored some important goals for us in the Champions League, and another important goal which has got us to the cup final.
‘Just seeing how much it meant to him after the semi-final was amazing.
‘Everyone was buzzing for him to get that goal because he has had a difficult season with injuries, but he has come up trumps for us and played very well.’
Chelsea invested heavily in attack last summer with Ziyech being joined by fellow new recruits Germany internationals Kai Havertz and Timo Werner.
Despite struggling to find their feet in England’s top flight, Chilwell is excited about the young, attacking talent at the club’s disposal.
‘When they come to England everyone says the Premier League is so different to all the other top leagues in Europe, much more physical over here,’ left-back Chilwell added.
‘It doesn’t just happen straight away for anyone. You have to get used to the league because it is so different.
‘But we are blessed, the attacking players we have signed are all exceptionally talented and can win you a game.
‘So we have got that, it is starting to gel together nicely now, and that is promising for the years ahead, because it is a young squad and it is very exciting.’
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