Hakim Ziyech made a slow start to life at Chelsea — but he is finally finding his feet at Stamford Bridge. 

The attacker, 28, has netted hugely important goals against Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in recent weeks and appears to have gained the trust of manager Thomas Tuchel.

As Chelsea get set for tonight’s London derby against West Ham, we examine why Ziyech could be a key player in their battle for Champions League qualification.

Tough start

In many ways, it is no surprise Ziyech did not hit the ground running at Chelsea. 

The Moroccan had not played club football for more than seven months prior to his debut, which was followed by two injuries that led to him missing 12 games in total.

Add in the arrival of a new manager midway through the campaign and it has not exactly been plain sailing for the former Ajax star.

Players often struggle to immediately adjust to the pace of English football but a global pandemic will undoubtedly have made the transition even more challenging. 

In fact, it is an issue he alluded to when speaking last week. 

Ziyech said: "No, it isn’t [easy]. It’s a difficult time right now for everybody. 

"I came here and in the beginning it was still possible to fly over and come back. But from October or September, I don’t know when they closed the borders, from that moment I didn’t see my family."

Rediscovering the magic

At Ajax, Ziyech tended to operate from the right wing in a 4-2-3-1 formation. 

His role was to remain wide and then look to cut inside with the ball, similar to how Riyad Mahrez plays at Manchester City. 

In that system, Ziyech produced a remarkable 13 assists in 21 Dutch Eredivisie games last season — as well as four in the Champions League group stage.

He also chipped in with two goals in Europe’s elite competition, which encouraged Chelsea to fork out around £33million to secure his services.

Adapting at the Bridge

Since moving to Chelsea, Ziyech has played in several positions but has most recently operated just behind the striker in a 3-4-2-1 system. 

It has posed a few problems for the former Ajax man, with less time on the ball available in central areas and his go-to move of drifting inside on his left foot no longer an option. 

But there are also more passing options available to Ziyech from the No10 position — especially in Tuchel's fluid attacking system.

Patience is a virtue

Chelsea are still trying to find their strongest XI after making so many summer signings, working out how best to utilise the likes of Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Ziyech. 

While the Londoners have impressed defensively under Tuchel, they have not been quite as efficient on the front foot and have only averaged 1.31 goals per 90 since the German’s appointment — the eighth most in the Premier League over that period.

Finding the balance

It is unlikely Chelsea are going to adapt their shape given how well the team have performed under Tuchel, even though it does not necessarily suit Ziyech’s skill set. 

In truth, the manager needs time to fully implement his plans and get the players up to speed with the nuances of his tactical approach. 

Adding more goals to the side will no doubt be among Tuchel’s priorities for next season — and that could see Ziyech really thrive. 

The Moroccan should continue to improve as he adapts to the rigours of English football, while he may also benefit from drifting out to the right flank on a more regular basis and cutting inside — as he did to such devastating effect at Ajax.