Chelsea further strengthened their title challenge with a 2-1 win over Brentford, bringing them within two points of leaders Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table.
Although Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca told reporters that his team “Not ready to compete for a championship,” Victory at Stamford Bridge was Chelsea’s fifth consecutive league win They are currently the best team in the league.
After several windows of spending money, Maresca finally appears to have found a formula that makes the most of the wealth of talent at his disposal.
Chelsea beat Brentford with fine performance 62% possession and 26 goal attempts This game should have been an easier score for the Blues.
Goals from Mark Cucurella and Nicholas Jackson ensured three points remained at Stamford Bridge, but two of Todd Boly’s signings grabbed the headlines for their performances this season.
Cole Palmer season statistics
Cole Palmer has been shining since his debut £40m move from Manchester City Back to 2023. The Chelsea playmaker, who was named the Premier League and PFA Young Player of the Year last season, previously told GQ magazine that he “Convinced to move to Chelsea” And he never expected to leave his boyhood club Manchester City.
Since then, Palmer hasn’t looked back and accumulated Scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in his first season The England star continues his fine form at Stamford Bridge 11 goals and 6 assists This is already the event.
The playmaker has already produced some magical moments in a Chelsea shirt this season, including four first-half goals against Brighton and the most recent ‘Panenka’ against rivals Tottenham Hotspur “style penalty kick.
However, it seems that it’s not just Palmer’s signing that is starting to have an impact on Chelsea, another midfielder in Maresca’s squad could also be a big factor in Chelsea’s dramatic improvement in form.
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How Enzo Fernandez proved his worth
To be fair, it took midfielder Enzo Fernandez a while to show why Chelsea paid £107m Back in January 2023. Just a few months ago, multiple Chelsea news outlets and fans were calling the Argentinian midfielder a “waste of money”.
However, after a tricky start to the season, Fernandes is now starting to show why boss Boly spent the cash on the World Cup winner, with the midfielder’s performances a key factor in pushing Chelsea closer to the top of the Premier League. alliance.
Fernandes has made 20 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea this season and has Contributed 11 goals, including 3 goals and 8 assists.
While fans and pundits alike are well aware of Palmer’s importance, Chelsea boss Maresca will no doubt see the Argentine midfielder’s growing influence on his side, with him playing a key role in a number of key areas All indicators surpassed Palmer.
Fernandez has a higher hit rate More than Palmer, who has created almost a goal per game in his appearances so far this season.
Enzo Fernandez v Cole Palmer Season 24/25 | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (per 90 people) | Fernandez | Palmer |
Shot on target | 40% | 38.9% |
Completed by | 82% | 74.5% |
goal creation actions | 0.93 | 0.65 |
touch | 820 | 798 |
Tackle wins | 16 | 7 |
Win the air duel | 16.7% | 0% |
Statistics passed FB reference | ||
Chelsea are increasingly looking to play the former Benfica man in midfield. Fernandez touches the ball more frequently Despite playing less time than Palmer, his passing success rate is higher than that of his colleague.
Defensively, Fernandez also performed better than Palmer in key areas, Won nine more tackles And win more aerial duels.
Winning the Premier League requires special players to stand out and Fernandes and Palmer are certainly two of the talents Chelsea currently have in fine form.
Perhaps the Argentinian may go on to replace Palmer as Boly’s top choice in the near future…
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Chelsea eased past Brentford on Sunday night.
