Chelsea’s record signing Enzo Fernandez produced a brilliant debut performance during their goalless Premier League draw against Fulham on Friday evening.
The Argentine was signed by the London giants from Benfica on transfer deadline day and manager Graham Potter decided to start him against Fulham after just one training session.
The 21-year-old looked at home in his Chelsea debut with some quality passes in the final third. He was also defensively solid and guarded the defence from the holding midfield role.
According to Sofascore, the World Cup winner had 99 touches and completed 64 out of his 75 passes. He won a stunning nine duels and six tackles, having played the full 90 minutes.
Fernandez and Benoit Badiashile were by far Chelsea’s best performances in the derby yesterday.
Fernandez played in the number six position which limited his offensive threat. We could see more of him in the final third if N’Golo Kante or Mateo Kovacic return to action for Chelsea.
Despite his promising display, Potter’s side once again dropped points in the Premier League. Chances were at a premium for Chelsea, though they had the vast percentage of possession.
Kai Havertz and David Datro Fofana should have scored with their clear-cut chances. This is where they need to improve in order to stay alive in the race for Champions League football.
After yesterday’s frustrating stalemate, Chelsea have jumped to ninth in the Premier League table but they are nine points behind the top four, having played an extra game than their rivals.
Hence, the result was a huge setback for Chelsea but they can’t ponder over the result with another huge derby coming up next weekend against West Ham United at the London Stadium.
It promises to be another tough encounter for them. They have beaten West Ham in just one of the last five games away from Stamford Bridge. They lost 3-2 in the previous season.
