Chelsea boss Frank Lampard insists he won’t ‘throw Eden Hazard comparisons’ at Hakim Ziyech

Frank Lampard has urged Hakim Ziyech to ‘do it his own way’ as the Chelsea winger’s superb performances have given the club hope that they can fill the void left by Eden Hazard.

Ziyech transformed Chelsea’s attack with two goals and three assists in his first five starts for the club and will be a key part of Lampard’s plans to get the upper hand over Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham.

This has already led to comparisons with the Belgian, whose creative hole on Chelsea has struggled to fill since joining Real Madrid ahead of Lampard’s first season.

Lampard is clever enough not to overwhelm Ziyech with such pressure, especially after such a short period of time.

“ It’s very difficult to fill one-for-one with Eden Hazard’s talents. His contribution to the club has been enormous. To lose that you have to try to find a way around the problem with last year’s transfer ban it was more about the arrival of young players and how we could become more effective in as a team.

“I think we’ve made some really good strides on that front and now with the players we’ve brought in, I would hate to give any of them the job or the idea of ​​’you have to replace Eden’. They have to focus on themselves.

“I remember Eden’s first year or two at Chelsea. It was clear what an incredible player he was going to become, but he also needed time to become this great player that we all know and love now as Chelsea. The players we’ve signed all have the potential in their own way of blazing a trail to show how much they can give to the club, but I’m certainly not going to throw Eden Hazard comparisons at them. They have to do it their own way.

Ziyech’s impact was immediate. Chelsea had failed to win six of their first nine games in all competitions this season before Ziyech made his first start after recovering from a knee injury.

He has started everything but one since and Chelsea have won the lot. The Moroccan creates the most chances per game of any Chelsea player in the league this season and already has the most assists.

“He had a big impact,” Lampard said. “I was impressed with him in every sense of the word. He delivered in the field and in no time. This is one of the reasons I brought him to the club. I thought he could be a real talent and bring something different to his style and his way of playing. So far he has shown it and I expect him to show more.

Ziyech is just one of Lampard’s summer recruits who impressed. Timo Werner is finding his marks, Ben Chilwell has excelled while the experienced Thiago Silva has given the essential know-how to such a young team, in particular a difficult team for the title.

“There is a balance in our team now,” said Lampard. “We have tried to recruit players of a certain age range which will hopefully be a real long term advantage for the club.

“ Thiago was an opportunity that presented itself which in a football sense was a great solution because he has that quality and that experience, so we develop a nice balance.

“ With each passing game, young players become more comfortable in their environment, can grow and become better leaders, more influential in the locker room. Now it’s just a matter of what we are trying to do to be successful, regardless of age.

How successful is Chelsea this season? A top-four spot in Lampard’s first season was certainly one. After spending £ 230million this summer, expectations are rising. A win over Tottenham could put them in the lead after Liverpool were held tied at Brighton.

“Right now it’s tighter at this early stage of the season. But there is a long way to go. What separates the best teams that win titles from the rest is consistency.

“ A short period of games isn’t enough to say that we or any other team that’s up there right now are actually going to claim the title at the end of the season. This is all to be proven by us.