Monthly Archives: January 2021

Ben Askren’s wife, Amy, has responded to Jake Paul’s lewd comments about her as the YouTube star called her “thicc”.

Askren, 36, takes on Paul, 24, in a highly-anticipated boxing bout on April 17.

Paul has stoked the rivalry with Askren by taking aim at his wife, calling her “thicc” in an interview with Ariel Helwani.

“She thicc bro,” he said. “With two Cs. Like T-h-i-c-c. She’s real thicc. I don’t know.

“I just thought she was bad. So maybe after I beat Ben…”

The former UFC contender reacted, tweeting: “This is laugh out loud awkward!!! But yes @jakepaul I find my wife very attractive also LOL.”

And now she has reacted in a video filmed by Askren, who captioned it: “@amyaskren1 reacts to her new internet fame and being called Thicc.”

Here’s the exchange –

Amy Askren: I am not like you…

Ben Askren: How does it feel being an internet celebrity?

Amy Askren: I mean… I don’t know.

Ben Askren: What about, uh, you know, thicc? I guess that’s a term the kids use. What do you think about that term? Is it a compliment, or is it offensive? 

Amy Askren: I’m not sure. I don’t know what it means. It has two c’s.

Ben Askren: Anything else you want to tell your new fans?

Amy Askren: Tell your moms to follow me, because they’ll probably stick around after all this is over.

Amy’s Instagram followers has increased since Paul’s comments.

He has history having aimed a disrespectful swipe at Conor McGregor’s fiancée, Dee, in a video call out. 

What else taunts does he have in store ahead of their fight?

Mesut Ozil has once again waged a war of words with Piers Morgan after ripping into the Arsenal fan with a brutal social media post.

The 32-year-old German midfielder left Arsenal after eight years as he signed for Turkish side Fenerbahce in the January transfer window.

Ozil spent much of the current season omitted from the Arsenal squad as Gunners fans questioned why he wasn’t being used under Mikel Arteta.

However, Morgan has no love lost for the former Arsenal star and would often engage in heated Twitter spats with Ozil.

Despite his move to Fenerbahce, Ozil hasn’t forgotten about the Good Morning Britain co-presenter and took another swipe at him on Twitter.

The former Germany international tweeted a picture of himself with ‘Poop on Piers’ toilet paper, saying he took it from London to Istanbul to ‘remind him of Morgan.’

Ozil tweeted to his 25.9m followers: “Piers, I took this with me from London to Istanbul to remind me of you! Although you probably knew that already before…”

Morgan wasted no time in responding to Ozil and told the former Real Madrid star he is “full of cr*p.”

The 55-year-old former Daily Mirror editor tweeted: “Mesut, you’re full of cr*p, so I’m glad to be of much-needed use.”

Arteta paid tribute to Ozil after he exited Arsenal by admitting that it was a “privilege to play alongside him and, more recently, coach him.”

The 38-year-old Arsenal boss said: “Mesut’s achievements at Arsenal are undisputed.

“It was a privilege to play alongside him and, more recently, coach him.

“His creativity and vision led to many goals during his time in the Arsenal shirt.

“Mesut was at the heart of many great moments for this club over the years, including those three FA Cup final wins. These successes will always be part of our history.

“We thank Mesut and wish him all the best with Fenerbahce.”

James Milner was in hysterics when he embraced Jurgen Klopp after he initially kicked off at the Liverpool boss for subbing him off.

The Reds travelled to the London Stadium on Sunday for their Premier League clash with West Ham.

And both sides went into half-time with the scores 0-0, with Klopp needing to shake things up in the second half.

Milner was the first to be pulled off as the Liverpool boss subbed on Curtis Jones in his place in the 57th minute.

The 35-year-old vice-captain was far from happy with the decision, but it proved to be a valuable tactical change from Klopp.

Jones, 20, wasted no time in setting up Mohamed Salah for Liverpool’s opener, which left a laughing Milner and Klopp embracing on the touchline.

Salah doubled Liverpool’s advantage after Klopp’s side produced an exquisite display of counter-attacking football.

Georginio Wijnaldum added Liverpool’s third late into the second half, while Craig Dawson pulled one back for the Hammers before the full-time whistle.

Klopp told BBC Sport after the 3-1 win: “We didn’t create enough in the first half. We made little adjustments at half-time and it paid off. We scored three unbelievable goals.

“These boys are a really good group. They’re not happy at not being successful, not winning, but they always have the right attitude.

“We slept one night at home [after Tottenham] and then we came to London. That’s two great results.”

Liverpool’s victory allowed them to climb up to third place in the league table, only one point behind second-place Manchester United.

The Reds will return to action on Wednesday as they host Brighton at Anfield before facing league leaders Manchester City on Sunday.

There was a real shock on the cards at the Stade du Moustoir on Sunday afternoon as Mauricio Pochettino’s Paris Saint-Germain suffered a shock 3-2 loss against Ligue 1 strugglers Lorient. 

The home side, who currently sit in 18th place in France’s top flight, opened the scoring through Laurent Abergel but a brace from PSG forward Neymar put the favourites ahead early in the second-half.

To their credit Lorient didn’t give up on getting something from the game and with just ten minutes remaining, Yoane Wissa converted past Spanish goalkeeper Sergio Rico to level the Ligue 1 clash. 

Wissa ran over to the corner flag after scoring and performed the classic meditation celebration – made famous by Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.

Lorient went on to score a dramatic late winner in stoppage time after Terem Moffi showed great composure to give his side all three points. Mauricio Pochettino’s expression says it all. 

If you’re unfamilar with the story surrounding Haaland’s trademark celebration and the PSG squad, then let me explain.

Ahead of Dortmund’s Champions League clash against the French champions last year, a fake Snapchat picture started to circulate showing the Dortmund striker poking fun at the French club, with ‘my city, not yours’ and ‘Paris’ handwritten across his jumper.

PSG went on to beat Dortmund 2-0 in the return leg and Neymar, who scored the opener, mocked Haaland by doing his meditation pose. 

In fact, after the tie, the majority of PSG’s squad posed for a picture while doing the classic meditation-style celebration.

When asked if their antics left him upset, the former RB Salzburg striker told ESPN: “No, not really.

“I think they helped me a lot to get meditation out in the world and to show the whole world that meditation is an important thing so I’m thankful that they helped me with that.”

Thoughts on Wissa’s celebration against Pochettino’s side on Sunday afternoon?

Let us know in the comments.

Lionel Messi produced an exquisite finish from a 30-yard free-kick to fire Barcelona into the lead against Athletic Bilbao at the Camp Nou.

The 33-year-old Argentine superstar, who has been in the news over his leaked contract details, was in fine form as he was knocked over on the edge of the box.

Messi stepped up for the free-kick and Bilbao players did everything to stop him from scoring, even lying one of their own behind the wall.

However, the Barcelona captain curled in a beautiful free-kick into the top-right corner, with a helpless Bilbao ‘keeper Unai Simon rooted to the spot.

Bilbao defender Yeray Alvarez desperately tried to run back to the line to clear Messi’s magnificent strike, only managing to hit the post as part of his troubles.

Messi’s free-kick notched up his 650th goal for Barcelona in all competitions, according to OptaJose.

Fans were simply left in awe at the six-time Ballon d’Or winner’s strike and praised his brilliance on social media.

More to follow…

Atletico Madrid striker Luis Suarez has now scored more La Liga goals than any other player this season after he netted a sublime 30-yard free-kick against Cadiz. 

The 34-year-old, who joined Los Colchoneros in September from Barcelona, continues to be a huge threat in front of goal as Diego Simeone’s side impress in the Spanish top flight. 

Atletico currently sit ten points ahead of Real Madrid in the La Liga title race with just 19 games played and Suarez’s goals are, without doubt, a major factor in their recent form. 

On Sunday afternoon, the Uruguayan produced the goods again by scoring this absolute beauty from range.

El Pistolero is running riot this season.

If the in-form Suarez – who has 13 goals in Spain’s top division this season – carries on such a spectacular run in front of goal, then this Atletico side could easily run away with a famous La Liga win in 2020/21. 

Diego Simeone said he knew exactly what Suarez would bring to the club after their first phone call. 

“The moment I spoke with Luis on the phone I found what he gives on the pitch: a lot of desire and energy.” Simeone recently said. 

“The team helps him to be at his best, which is scoring, something that has marked him throughout his career.”

He hasn’t lost it, that’s for sure.

WWE legend Daniel Bryan has revealed his five-month reign as ‘The Planet’s Champion’ was his favourite world championship run in the promotion.

Bryan is one of the most beloved superstars of his generation and emotionally returned from retirement in April 2018 following a two-year absence.

But the following November saw him turn heel and win the WWE Championship while dubbing himself an eco-friendly champion.

Speaking to SPORTbible on a conference call, Bryan explained that reign was one with a perfect beginning, middle and end.

“Being ‘The Planet’s Champion’ was by far my favourite. It’s interesting because in WWE, my championship runs haven’t always gone very well! I won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 30 and then had to vacate with a neck injury.

“I won the World Heavyweight Championship in 2011 and lost it in eight seconds at WrestleMania 28. Those didn’t feel as special as when I was ‘The Planet’s Champion’ and a bad guy. I love the way it started.

“Anybody who competes hates losing the championship, but if you’re going to lose it, lose it in a great match at WrestleMania against someone who steps up which is what happened when I lost it to Kofi Kingston.

“I had a lot of fun with that run and I loved my hemp championship belt [laughs].”

The end of 2019 would see Bryan turn face once again and reclaim his spot as ‘Leader Of The Yes! Movement’.

Could we ever see a heel Daniel Bryan again? When asked he replied: “I don’t know, you know. Good and bad is a perception of other people, right? I will just continue to be me and you never know.

“From one day to the next, and this is one of the things I always find interesting, people evolve in ways you don’t expect. I’d like to say everyone thinks I’m a good guy and they’d want to cheer for me, but sometimes my beliefs are just unpopular. Especially in the United States! [laughs.]

“Maybe worldwide I can be a good guy and everyone says ‘Yay he stands up for the environment,’ but you never know.”

Bryan is looking to add to his five world title reigns by winning the Royal Rumble this Sunday and moving on to the WrestleMania 37 main event.

Winning the Rumble is one thing missing from the 39-year-old’s CV and it’s something he’s looking to change.

“I’ve accomplished a lot in the WWE and I’ve accomplished a lot in my career in general,” he continued. 

“That’s one of the things that I’ve never really been able to do, that’s one milestone I haven’t been able to accomplish.

“To me, I’m always interested in trying to accomplish new things and new goals and that sort of thing. To me, winning the Royal Rumble would just be the cherry on top of my career.”

Getting a second bite at the cherry in regards to his career is something Bryan is clearly appreciative of.

A 21-year veteran, Bryan made his name as an ‘indie darling’ before becoming one of WWE’s most influential stars.

His passion for wrestling is unrivalled and the Washington-native has a clear philosophy about the business.

“One of the things I really try to prioritise is giving back to wrestling and giving back to WWE because it’s given me so much. When you look at the things I’ve been able to do, places I’ve been able to go and see, a lot of that is because of wrestling and WWE.

“I have this concept, that a lot of people have. Whatever you do, when you leave, you try to leave it better than it was when you got there. 

“Whether or not, I might not be a full-time wrestler in WWE for much longer.

“If that’s the case, I want to leave it better than found it. I want to leave wrestling as a whole better than I found it. So that’s kind of my focus right now.

“How do I, if I’m stepping away as a full-time wrestler, leave it better than I found it?”

The Ghana midfielder’s game declined after half time on Saturday, which prevented a Red Devils encore at the Emirates Stadium 

Had supporters been in the ground on Saturday, groans of frustration may have accompanied Thomas Partey losing the ball close to the halfway line against Manchester United as Arsenal attempted to launch a counter with 11 minutes to play.

However, the Ghana superstar was a beneficiary of a near-empty Emirates Stadium, as his culpability in costing the Gunners a potentially promising transition in the eventual goalless encounter in North London wasn’t met with the ire of almost 60,000 fans.

A lot had been made about the meeting of the age-old rivals, not only due to the history of the fixture in the 90s and early 2000s but largely because of what’s transpired at both clubs since that encounter on November 1. A Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty won the game for Arsenal 1-0 as the three-time Premier League winners claimed a first success at Old Trafford since 2006.

While that statistic seemed to dominate post-game headlines, buried underneath ending a 14-year winless league run at the Theatre of Dreams was how Mikel Arteta’s men produced arguably their most impressive tactical display of the season against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s troops.

Analysed Partey and Elneny’s Manchester United masterclass last week, arguing why the pair could be Arteta’s go-to midfield combination for Arsenal’s demanding games. #AFC #ARSAVL

Piece on @GoalAfrica https://t.co/rVS1d7x9Db

— Seye Omidiora (@theReal_SeyE) November 8, 2020

Crucial to that victory were the performances of Partey and Elneny in midfield; with the former man-marking Paul Pogba while the Egypt man hassled and harried Bruno Fernandes so much that observers may have been unaware of the playmaker’s presence on the pitch.

The evolution of both sides since — the Gunners overcoming their wretched run in the autumn, growing into one of the PL’s in-form sides and United’s ascent into title contention — meant Saturday’s game arrived with so much promise.

Interestingly, Arteta, believing in his team’s growth since beating Chelsea in December, opted against the same formation and central midfield pairing from three months ago. Rather, the Spanish manager continued with the in-form Granit Xhaka alongside the West African.

Be that as it may, the former Atletico Madrid man didn’t produce a similar kind of showing at the Emirates. For one, Partey wasn’t used in any precise man-marking role on Saturday while he had far fewer touches compared to the encounter in Manchester (73-56).

Full story on Thomas Partey’s fitness ahead of United. https://t.co/ZE2JTbKZK7

— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) January 29, 2021

The all-round midfielder completed the highest volume of progressive passes (nine), ranked highest for forward-thinking ball-carrying (12) and made more recoveries (14) in that Old Trafford win than any teammate.

On Saturday, the respective figures for the aforementioned metrics were three, four and seven. While the 27-year-old was joint-top for progressive passes, he ranked third for progressive carries and fifth for volume of recoveries, highlighting a slight underperformance in the Ghanaian’s game against the same opponents.

What particularly summarised the midfielder’s showing was the alarming drop off after half-time, in which Partey’s influence on proceedings waned, demonstrated by that somewhat uncharacteristic possession loss that nearly resulted in Marcus Rashford scoring from range.

In the final minutes of the first half, the West African had strangely ruined a developing fast break by over-hitting a seemingly easy pass to the left flank into touch which probably highlighted what was to come for the rest of the encounter.

This is not to suggest Partey had a poor match; rather ruing the fact he couldn’t produce a similar showing to the one that announced him to English football in November after an underwhelming first start vs Leicester City in late October.

There were still bright moments, regardless of the supposed underperformance on Saturday. In the 22nd minute, his press resistance and impressive ball-carrying saw him wriggle around United bodies in his half, run the length of the pitch before pulling his effort wide while a massive intervention prevented a Rashford cut-back finding Fernandes for a tap-in.

The mitigating factors surrounding the ex-Atleti player’s underwhelming display will largely originate from fitness issues and injury problems that have troubled him in the last couple of months. When he seemed to be hitting stride following a long-awaited return to action, a knock against Southampton led to an early withdrawal vs Saints and actually made him a doubt for Saturday’s stalemate.

In that sense, maybe little should be read into the disappointing performance in the draw with the Red Devils, who probably deserved a win at the Emirates after edging the expected goals battle 1.5-1.1.

This was a significant improvement on their xG of 0.3 when Arteta’s tactics coupled with Partey’s dominance and application stifled Solskjaer’s men at Old Trafford.There was an unspoken acceptance of the point after the game and Partey, despite the absence of an encore, will have been relieved to come out of the encounter unscathed after a similar decision to risk him from the off backfired in the North London Derby.

The Premier League champions scored a stunning second goal at the London Stadium to cap a positive week for Jurgen Klopp’s side 

Six touches. That was all it took to confirm our suspicions.

Liverpool are back.

It’s been a profitable week in the capital for the Premier League champions. If Thursday’s win over Tottenham was a statement, then they backed it up on Sunday with what was, in many ways, an even more impressive victory, 3-1 away to West Ham.

Their triumph at the London Stadium, achieved courtesy of sublime second-half strikes from Mo Salah (twice) and Gini Wijnaldum, lifts the Reds back up to third in the table, four points behind leaders Manchester City, who visit Anfield next Sunday.

Game on. Title race on.

After a lean spell over Christmas, and despite an injury list which shows little sign of easing, Liverpool have suddenly sprung back to life as January has come to a close. Strangers for a month, they have found their mojo once more. They look themselves again.

And if we ever needed evidence, then their second goal here said it all.

This was Liverpool. From back to front, in the blink of an eye. From defending a corner to wrapping up the points, and all in the space of six touches and 14 seconds.

It was some goal. First Andy Robertson got his head to an Aaron Cresswell corner, sending the ball out of the danger zone. It was collected by Trent Alexander-Arnold, who took a couple of touches before spearing a trademark diagonal out to the left flank for the galloping Xherdan Shaqiri.

Shaqiri had time and space to carry the ball, but opted instead for a first-time pass, over the last defender and into the path of Salah. The Egyptian’s first touch was exquisite, his second clinical. Liverpool led 2-0, and the points were in the bag. 

It was Salah’s 21st goal of the season, and his second of the afternoon. He had given Liverpool the lead 11 minutes before that counterattacking masterpiece, collecting a pass from substitute Curtis Jones, cutting inside Cresswell and curling a peach of a strike into Lukasz Fabianski’s top right-hand corner.

Trademark Salah. Trademark Liverpool.

The Reds’ third goal was another thing of beauty, West Ham passed to death before two more substitutes, Roberto Firmino and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, quickened the tempo with a give-and-go on the edge of the box. Firmino, whose form has picked up dramatically in the past seven days, then had the presence of mind to pull the back for Wijnaldum, who swept home for 3-0.

Craig Dawson’s goal, put away from a corner from the right, denied Klopp’s side a clean sheet, but they can be happy with the way they handled the Hammers’ threat here. Nat Phillips, making only his fourth Premier League start, was excellent against Michail Antonio, while Jordan Henderson was superb alongside him.

“Carry on playing like that and you’ll be there for the rest of your career!” James Milner told Henderson afterwards. Where would the Reds be without their captain and his relentless standards?

Reinforcements look to be on the way, in any case. A move for Ben Davies, the Preston centre-back, should be completed before Monday’s transfer deadline. Not the most glamorous of signings, but one Klopp feels is needed, given the club’s ongoing injury crisis.

The good news is that his team looked to have shrugged off their winter blues. They’re smiling again, they’re scoring again, they’re winning again.

They’re back.

The Nigeria international inspired the champions to their 13th win of the season at Estadi Johan Cruyff 

Asisat Oshoala scored her fourth brace of the season to help Barcelona secure a 4-1 victory over Real Madrid in Sunday’s Spanish Primera Iberdrola encounter.

The Nigeria international has been in breathtaking form for Lluis Cortez’s team this season and continued her run against Real.

Oshoala was given her eighth league start of the term, spearheading the attack, and utilized the chances to increase her season tally.

Following a 4-1 bashing in a first-ever El Clasico last October, the hosts aimed for a league double over Real Madrid as Jenni Hermoso assisted Alexia Putellas to gain the lead in the 14th minute.

After her assist, Spanish forward Hermoso made a brilliant finish to singlehandedly double the lead of Barcelona nine minutes later.

The hosts continued their search for more goals as Caroline Graham Hansen teed up the Nigerian inside the six-yard box for an easy tap-in for a third of the day eight minutes from the break. 

After the break, Barcelona continued from where they left off in their first half as Oshoala grabbed her brace and a fourth of the match.

Real Madrid suffered a major set-back in the encounter when they were reduced to 10-player after goalkeeper María Rodriguez caught the ball outside the 18-yard box in the 72nd minute.

The visitors were gifted a penalty after Mapi Leon was sent off for a poor challenge inside the area and Olga Carmona converted from the spot nine minutes from full-time for their consolation goal.

Oshoala lasted the duration of the encounter and has now scored 13 goals and provided two assists in 13 league matches for Cortes’ side this season.

The result moves Barcelona five-point clear at the top of the table, with 39 points from 13 matches and they will eye their 14th consecutive win of the campaign at Levante on February 3.

The Parisians surrendered their lead to crumble against the relegation-threatened side in Sunday’s Ligue I encounter 

Super-sub Terem Moffi was Lorient’s hero having scored the winning goal as the Merlucciidaes shocked Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 in Sunday’s French top-flight clash.

With the encounter at the Stade du Moustoir heading for a no winner, no vanquished note, the Nigerian forward, who has now scored in his last five league games, had the final say.

Lorient came into the clash buoyed by their 3-2 win over Dijon their last time out.

On Sunday, they took the lead in the 36th minute when Laurent Abergel charged forward from midfield to take advantage of a scramble on the edge of the visitors’ box to power past goalkeeper Sergio Rico.

In the closing stages of the first half, PSG were awarded a penalty by the referee after French defender of Senegal and Bissau-Guinean descent Houboulang Mendes dived in recklessly on Neymar and the Brazil international made no mistake from the spot.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men took the lead for the first time in the 58th minute as Neymar completed his double from the penalty mark after Mendes had fouled Mauro Icardi.

That goal woke the hosts from their slumber as Christophe Pelissier’s men levelled matters through substitute, DR Congo star Yoane Wissa, with ten minutes left to play after exchanging passes with Moffi.

The Nigerian settled the game in the 90th minute after surging through the PSG backline to beat Rico as the visitors were caught upfield chasing the winning goal.

Madagascar defender Jeremy Morel was in action from start to finish for Lorient, while his countryman Thomas Fontaine was not listed for action, nor was Togo’s Josue Homawoo, Cote d’Ivoire’s Stephane Diarra and Cameroon’s Franklin Wadja.

Senegalese midfielder Idrissa Gueye was brought on for Leandro Paredes with nine minutes left to play.

The loss was Pochettino’s first since he replaced Thomas Tuchel. Also, PSG missed out on the opportunity to return to the top of Ligue 1 in place of Olympique Lyon.

Even at the win, the Merlucciidaes occupy the 18th spot having accrued 18 points from 21 games in the 2020-21 campaign. They would be aiming for their third straight win against Rennes on February 3.

Former KV Kortrijk and FK Riteriai star Moffi is eligible to represent the Super Eagles at international level.

The 23-year-old Nigeria international made his maiden appearance for the Billy Goats at RheinEnergieStadion 

Emmanuel Dennis made his debut for Koln in their 3-1 victory over Arminia Bielefeld in Sunday’s Bundesliga game.

The Nigeria international teamed up with the Billy Goats on January 25 on loan until the end of the 2020-21 season from Belgian First Division A side Club Brugge.

The forward was afforded his first appearance for Markus Gisdol’s men and impressed, helping his side secure all three points at RheinEnergieStadion.

The 23-year-old started the encounter and formed a three-man attack for Koln along with Ondrej Duda and Ismail Jakobs.

The Billy Goats started the game on an impressive note as they aimed to return to winning ways after losing against Hoffenheim last time out.

Marius Wolf opened the scoring for the RheinEnergieStadion outfit as early as the 10th minute and doubled their lead in the 28th minute.

Elvis Rexhbecaj sealed the victory for Koln moments after the hour mark to render Sergio Cordova’s 73rd-minute strike a mere consolation.

Dennis featured for 82 minutes in his debut appearance in the Bundesliga and made a telling impact in the encounter.

The Super Eagles forward struck one shot, had 38 touches on the ball, completed one dribble, and had a 63 percent successful pass rate.

The victory ensured Koln moved to the 17th spot on the league table after gathering 18 points from 19 games.

Dennis will be expected to make his second appearance for the Billy Goats when they take on Jahn Regensburg in a Cup tie on February 3.

The forward has two appearances for the Nigeria national team and will hope to impress with Koln to boost his chances of getting regular call-ups to the Super Eagles.

Dennis started his European career with Zorya Luhansk in 2016 and spent a season with the side before teaming up with Club Brugge.

The German head coach has justified his decision to leave the Moroccan winger out of the team for the Blues’ latest Premier League fixture 

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has explained Hakim Ziyech’s omission from his squad to face Burnley at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Ziyech became the first signing of Frank Lampard’s reign when Chelsea reached an agreement to bring the winger in for €40 million (£35m/$50m) from Ajax in February 2019.

The Moroccan joined up with his new team-mates a few months later after seeing out the season at Johan Cruyff ArenA, but had to bide his time before making his debut.

The 27-year-old overcame niggling fitness issues before making his first appearance for the Blues off the bench during the 3-3 draw with Southampton on October 7, and went on to earn a regular spot in Lampard’s squad.

Ziyech now has 16 appearances for Chelsea to his name across all competitions, along with two goals and three assists, but his last outing came with Tuchel sitting in the dugout instead of Lampard.

The German boss was drafted in following a club legend’s sacking at the start of the week, and he named a much-changed line up for the 0-0 draw with Wolves in midweek.

Ziyech played 80 minutes of that contest, but was a surprise absentee from the Blues’ latest squad against Burnley as Tuchel opted to go with a front-three consisting of Tammy Abraham, Timo Werner and Mason Mount.

Here’s the team for Tuchel Part II  #CHEBUR pic.twitter.com/jmL3plZY9o

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 31, 2021

The 47-year-old, who was relieved of his managerial duties at Paris Saint-Germain in December, justified his decision in a pre-match interview, telling BT Sport: “He [Ziyech] has been in a bit of overload since five weeks so he has a bit of a risk of getting injured if he plays more than say 30 minutes. For that, we decided to take a break now to go out of the risk zone.”

Ziyech will hope that he is recalled for a crucial London derby encounter against Tottenham on Thursday, which comes three days before Chelsea are due to face Sheffield United at Bramall Lane before they travel to Barnsley in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Tuchel’s side are currently sitting tenth in the Premier League standings, seven points behind fourth-placed Liverpool in the race for Champions League qualification.