It was Halloween 2020 and Hakim Ziyech decided to pay a visit to Turf Moor as a wizard.

A cold, winter night at Turf Moor is the new "cold rainy night in Stoke" even if Sean Dyche's Burnley have started the 2020-21 season remarkably off-colour. Handed his first Premier League start as he returns to full fitness, Chelsea's Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech started on the right of a front three in a line-up that featured two No. 8s, a traditional focal-point No. 9, another supposed No. 9 out on the left and, of course, N'Golo Kante.

Frank Lampard's lineup was tweaked at the 11th hour by Christian Pulisic's hamstring but the result of it all was anything but a surprise.

It took all of 26 minutes for Hakim Ziyech to turn on the magic at Turf Moor but it may as well have been Hogwarts. The former "Wizard of Amsterdam" was on the pitch for 10 minutes in the 0-0 draw against Manchester United and had some valuable minutes in the roller-coaster 3-3 draw with Southampton. This, though, was his first start in the league since his surprise summer move to Stamford Bridge.

Teed up by Tammy Abraham on the edge of the box, Hakim Ziyech took a breath before rifling his shot low into the corner, beating a goalkeeper that faintly resembled a shadow of Nick Pope. None of the 12 prior Premier League meetings between Chelsea and Burnley went into the break goalless and Ziyech racked up No. 13 this weekend.

This was, of course, nothing new for Chelsea fans watching on from their TV sets in the safety of their homes. Signed for an initial €40 million which could rise to €44 million, Ziyech gave Blues fans about three different reminders last year that he is, by all means, a right menace.

With the score at 1-1 in Chelsea's 2019 Champions League group stage meeting with Ajax in London, the Moroccan winger whipped in a devilish left-footed delivery for Quincy Promes, who duly guided it past Kepa Arrizabalaga to make it 1-2. Then came the spectacular third.

Five yards from the corner flag on the right, Ziyech did as Ziyech does. A moment of magic saw his wand of a left foot produce something that was as high risk as it was high reward. The then-Ajax man struck the ball clean and hard at the top-left post and though it was registered as an own goal from Kepa, Ziyech rightly took credit for it all. As coolly as he whipped that ball in, he shrugged his shoulders at the crowd at the Bridge as if it was nothing; a picture of nonchalance. Chelsea fans didn't appreciate the gesture of course but it was a typical Ziyech moment, signed and delivered.

The Moroccan registered another assist that night, this time for Donny van de Beek and alongside Andre Onana, was the Dutch giants' best player on the pitch. All of that and his mind-boggling numbers (since the beginning of last season, Hakim Ziyech has been directly involved in 30 goals in 40 appearances for both Ajax & Chelsea in all comps) all but convinced Chelsea to splash out a sum that is more than reasonable in hindsight.

Burnley at Turf Moor may not have been the sternest of tests for Chelsea's expensively assembled side but it was nonetheless a testament to the options at Frank Lampard's disposal. The game that followed Chelsea's 3-0 win this weekend may be one such example of when those options will come in handy.

David Moyes, looking to pick up his first win at Anfield in his managerial career, took West Ham to Merseyside and set the Hammers up in a 5-4-1 against Liverpool. West Ham were resolute for nearly the full 90 minutes after taking an early lead through a Joe Gomez error. The Hammers defended in numbers and gave Liverpool the lion's share of possession (73%). Despite the possession, the depleted champions failed to make anything noteworthy out of it until Xherdan Shaqiri beautifully teed up Diogo Jota, who continued his red-hot streak to net the winner.

In games like these, Chelsea will have Hakim Ziyech to unlock the opposition. The Moroccan winger is lethal in and around the box, more than decent with headers and has the ability to pick a pass across the field that few in the Premier League bar Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kevin De Bruyne and Thiago Alcantara have. It helps that Ziyech is a left-footed winger playing on the right, giving him a host of options that includes cutting in from the right to shoot, whipping deliveries into the box and unlocking a low block with a nifty assist laid on a plate.

None of this is to say Frank Lampard can turn Chelsea into challengers for the title this very season. As long as Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola are in the league, it will always be a tall order. But Lampard now has the tools to set up his side in any number of formations to combat any number of frustrations. If defensive woes crop up on the regular and all else fails, he could fall back on the 2013-14 Brendan Rodgers approach and go hell for leather in scoring goals. In that near-miss season, Rodgers' Liverpool netted 101 (!!) goals but conceded 51, ultimately being undone by "Crystanbul" and that slip from Steven Gerrard.

At €40 million and 27 years of age, Hakim Ziyech is very much a here-and-now signing for Chelsea. His introduction into the side gives Lampard something Chelsea have been crying out for since the guileful presence of Cesc Fabregas. His nonchalant celebrations will now be a welcome sight when the crowds return at Stamford Bridge.

And when Ziyech whips another outrageous goal in with his wand of a left foot, the crowd will chant in unison: "You're a wizard, Hakim."

Illustration: Zayceeann Alvares