Chelsea have managed to unlock £100m man’s ability in both boxes – but have sacrificed his speciality | OneFootball

Last weekend’s game saw Enzo Fernandez brought back into Enzo Maresca’s first team, but in a new role.

The Argentine played in a much more attacking role, and it paid off when he got a goal and assist to help Chelsea past Leicester.

It was no surprise to see him back in the team today, even with Romeo Lavia back in the team. In fact, the whole shape was changed to accommodate Enzo, to a degree. It paid off again, with another goal for the former Benfica man – that’s the first time he’s scored in consecutive games for Chelsea.

But pushing him forward hasn’t just helped him get involved in more goals. He’s actually amped up his defensive contributions too.

In the game yesterday he attempted 11 ground duels and 2 aerial duels, and made 3 tackles, according to SofaScore. That’s a big jump up from his usual total.

Enzo Fernandez in action for Chelsea. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Enzo adding strings to his bow under watchful Maresca

It’s not just a change in position – we would imagine that an extended period being dropped from the first team helped light a fire under Enzo. He now knows his £100m price tag won’t protect him from being dropped if he doesn’t pull his weight, and his performances h

It’s still not an ideal solution, for us. His best attributes are in progressing the ball forward, and he can do that a lot better from a deeper position. He played just 3 long balls and 1 through ball yesterday according to WhoScored, which is a shame given how well he hits them.

But these recent games have shown he can be a threat in the box too, as well as helping the team defend from the front, and all these tools will be useful for the team.