Andrey Santos lifts the lid on whether he prefers to be a six or an eight in midfield | OneFootball

We were impressed by Andrey Santos’ performance last night against Cardiff, and we’ve generally liked what we’ve seen from him this season.

It’s clear that Enzo Maresca doesn’t yet fully trust him, but bit by bit the midfielder is learning how to play for the Italian coach, and now the fixture list is so busy he’s bound to be trusted with further important starts.

Santos on his favourite midfield role and best parts of his game

Andrey Santos celebrates his first Chelsea goal. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Speaking in an interview with the club’s official website, Santos had some interesting words about his role in the team and where he likes to play:

“I like one-vs-one defensive play, and then my quality on the ball and my passes help to break the lines. I like duels too.”

It was notable how strong he was defensively and in duels yesterday.

“I like to play as a six or an eight – it doesn’t matter – and if the coach says, “Andrey, you have to play like a six,” I will do my best. If he says I have to play like an eight, I will do my best as well. And it must be great to play alongside whoever joins you in that midfield triangle here.”

He will get plenty of chances to do both this season and beyond.

In other news…

Santos also spoke after the game about his process of coming to Chelsea and how he had been inspired by Brazilians who went before him. We don’t like the sound of his sleepless week, however!

Joao Pedro has played a lot of games for Chelsea now and it’s fair to say the overall feeling is disappointment, especially given the bright start he made in his first few games at the Club World Cup.