Tuchel thinks Ziyech isn't clinical enough for Chelsea - is he right?

Stefan Bienkowski

• 2 Nov 2021 21:20 GMT
• 5 min read

Chelsea forward JHakim Ziyech would have been forgiven for assuming he did enough for the team in their 1-0 victory over Malmo in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

The Morrocan forward bagged the one and only goal of the game in the second half, when he latched on to the end of a Callum Hudson-Odoi pass, to roll the ball into the bottom left corner of the net.

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It was an important goal for Ziyech, who had only managed one goal and one assist in nine games prior to the midweek European test.

However, despite the young forward’s match-winning goal, his manager was one hand to offer some constructive feedback in the post-match press conference.

“I still think there is space to improve for him in decision making,” said Thomas Tuchel to the media shortly after the match. “We always rely on his workrate against the ball. This is also a huge part of his performances.

“He can still be more clinical. He is not still 100 percent free as he should be, the players love their freedom in their movement but I am happy for him and for Callum [Hudson-Odoi].”

So does Tuchel have a point or is he being particularly unfair on Ziyech’s form for the club this season?

Is Ziyech not clinical enough?

The easiest way to tell if Ziyech is clinical enough as a player is to look at the player’s expected goals stats and whether he is over or underperforming in regard to his actual goals in real life.

Prior to his move to Chelsea in 2020, Ziyech was averaging 0.27 xG per 90 for Ajax and 0.29 goals per 90, which means he was slightly overperformed with his goal scoring in comparison to the chances he had.

In his first season at Stamford Bridge, Ziyech’s xG averaged out at 0.20 xG per 90, while his actual goal scoring stood at 0.29 per 90. Again, here we see a player taking his chances and looking perfectly clinical in front of goal.

However, this season has seen a notable change. While Ziyech’s xG per 90 stands at an improved 0.35 per 90, his goal scoring stands at just 0.18 per 90. Which, as Tuchel correctly pointed out, suggests the forward isn’t taking his chances when they come to him.