Enzo Fernandez and Chelsea were able to bounce back from their defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend with a win against Benfica on Tuesday night.
Fernandez captained the side and almost scored, but Richard Rios managed to get in front of him before booting Alejandro Garnacho’s cross into his own net.
Garnacho was very vocal during the game and ultimately made the difference for Chelsea in their 1-0 win with his cross.
However, Fernandez is the Argentina international who is being given all of the credit for the Blues’ victory in Portugal.
- READ MORE: Enzo Maresca picks out what was ‘very good’ about Alejandro Garnacho in Chelsea’s win vs Benfica
Enzo Fernandez lauded for dictating play and helping Chelsea transition
Under Enzo Maresca, Fernandez has become a goalscoring midfielder. The 24-year-old has already scored three goals this season, while last term he managed to net nine times in all competitions.
However, Fernandez is still able to get on the ball and control games, and he did just that against Benfica.
As a result of his orchestrating and the way he helped Chelsea to transition, Portuguese newspaper A Bola named him their Player of the Match.
They wrote: “Man of the Match: Enzo Fernandez (7). Enzo Fernandez dominated the pitch. The midfielder was key in building up play and transitioning between defence and attack, dictating Chelsea’s game with great composure on the ball.
“Not even the reactions from Benfica fans — who haven’t forgotten his controversial departure from Luz — diminished his influence. He got into a scoring position during the goal-scoring move, and only Rios prevented him from scoring.”
Arsenal legend and Chelsea supporter Paul Merson recently spoke about Fernandez, claiming that he has been impacted by the departure of Nicolas Jackson.
Jackson left Fernandez and the rest of the Chelsea team for Bayern Munich on deadline day, grabbing his first goal for the German giants on the same night that Maresca’s men beat Benfica.
How Jose Mourinho tried to calm Benfica fans down after targeting Enzo Fernandez
Fernandez joined Chelsea from Benfica in 2023 and, as A Bola highlighted, the fans at his former club have not forgotten about the manner of his exit.
During Tuesday night’s game, some fans pelted objects at the 24-year-old as he tried to take a corner. It resulted in Jose Mourinho running to the away end at Stamford Bridge and gesturing to his supporters to stop.
At Benfica, Fernandez is clearly a villain. But he is loved by Chelsea fans and will become even more admired if he can help the Blues to beat their rivals Liverpool on Saturday.
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