GLOWING with pleasure after defeating Spurs four times in a season, without conceding a goal, Chelsea have a Fourth Round FA Cup tie against League One Plymouth Argyle to look forward to in a week’s time.

Tom Tuchel, newly crowned FIFA manager of the year alongside his counterpart Emma Hayes at the helm of the Blues’ women’s team, is all smiles again after the weekend’s 2-0 victory over Tottenham.

It has steadied a ship that had started to experience stormy seas, and it is largely down to the late blossoming of Moroccan forward Hakim Ziyech, who has now scored in successive matches.

Although his beautiful goal against Brighton was overshadowed by the fact that the match ended in a draw, his lofted curler against Spurs on Sunday was sublime.

Ziyech himself said: “I think it was 10 out of 10; I thought maybe I hit it a little bit hard, and in the end I saw it go in.”

The striker is a conundrum. He seemed to be at his best in a four-man line behind target man Romelu Lukaku, but he has struggled to make a worthwhile impact in other games, despite a good positional instinct.

The players have an international break this weekend, giving Tuchel some time to think about formations.

But if Ziyech’s majestic looping shot into the top corner of the net against Spurs isn’t shortlisted for January goal of the month, there will have to be another public inquiry… no doubt chaired by a top civil servant.