It may not even be the fault of the players themselves (definitely not Ziyech’s fault), but the destructive situations of Hakim Ziyech and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang last week and the last few days will surely have a negative effect on the team and the camp.
We had the situation of Hakim Ziyech and his move to PSG breaking down in the last few hours, and then we had Pierre Emerick Aubameyang being dropped from our Champions League squad and then dropped from Fulham’s matchday squad.
Chelsea reached a stalemate in that game and although we all know that it will still take time for new players to form etc, there was a little cloud hanging over the game due to these above mentioned situations.
Ziyech was clearly very angry after his move to PSG broke down. He spent the whole day in Paris getting a medical and agreeing to personal terms, then breaking the move. I don’t think we all really know why it broke, because both sides have different versions of events. But the fact is that it didn’t happen, and it should have, and Ziyech was naturally going to be completely upset about it.
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Graham Potter had a talk with him the day after the move broke down and he helped. However, emotions are emotions and you cannot cover them up. There’s no way Ziyech would have started the game on Friday night, and I’m concerned about the effect this will continue to have on him and the rest of the team this season. Remember, some of these players are closer to the players on the team than others, and it could have a ripple effect.
The same goes for Aubameyang really, he will also be very upset about what happened. Out of the UCL squad and out of the matchday squad, so he heads to Milan with his brother for the weekend. I’m sure a lot will be said in public and downplayed, but it’s far from an ideal situation and, like Ziyech’s, it’s bound to have an effect on the camp one way or another.
Chelsea need to be working together in the same direction right now, as they desperately search for wins on the pitch.
