Enzo Maresca is pleased that one Chelsea star has grown tremendously after previous struggles.
Chelsea face Benfica in the last 16 of the Club World Cup on Saturday (today), marking a reunion with Blues midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
The 24-year-old joined the Premier League giants in 2023, moving to West London in the January transfer window, swapping Lisbon for the English capital in a package worth £106.8 million.
Having initially divided opinion under Graham Potter and last season despite countryman Mauricio Pochettino being in situ, the Argentina midfielder has contributed to more goals and assists under Enzo Maresca.
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Maresca praises Fernandez development
The former Benfica man set up two goals in Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over Esperance, assisting Tosin Adarabioyo’s header and playing Liam Delap in for his first Blues strike, continuing his steady flow of goals and assists.
Maresca was full of praise for the 2022 World Cup winner, citing Fernandez’s improvement since the start of the 2024-25 season.
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“This season, he struggled a little bit in the beginning in the way we wanted to play, but he is doing fantastic in terms of the number of goals and assists,” said the Chelsea head coach. “This is what we want from our attacking players.
“I prefer that the attacking players score ten to twelve goals each rather than one player with 40 goals. Enzo, this season his contribution has been top, and next season it will be even better.”
What’s next for Chelsea?
Chelsea could face Palmeiras or Botafogo in the quarter-final of the Club World Cup if they beat Benfica on Saturday.
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