Enzo Fernandez slammed for Chelsea supporter standoff after Brighton defeat

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Evening Standard

·22 April 2026

Enzo Fernandez slammed for Chelsea supporter standoff after Brighton defeat

Blues stand-in skipper stood shrugging at travelling fans after 3-0 loss

The Blues fell to a fifth consecutive Premier League defeat on Tuesday night, all without scoring a goal, to leave their hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League in tatters.

Amid suggestions that Liam Rosenior could be sacked, and facing a fan-made banner calling for owners BlueCo to leave the club, stand-in captain Enzo Fernandez stood shrugging in front of the travelling supporters at the full-time whistle.

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Fernandez was back in the team and wearing the captain's armband just a week after being dropped by Rosenior for "crossing a line" with comments about his future.

Enzo Fernandez stood shrugging at fans at full-time

REUTERS

The Argentine has encouraged speculation that he could leave Chelsea this summer, and Tim Sherwood is stunned that Fernandez continues to be entrusted to lead the team on the pitch.

"He wanted to make a show, this is not someone who I wanted to see with an armband on," Sherwood said on Sky Sports of Fernandez after the skipper stood shrugging at the away fans.

"He wants to leave the club. He stuck his chest out, he stood there, he made a stand, mate, make a stand when the game is on, do something about it, lead your players, you’re an individual who plays for himself.

"He's probably there talking to the coaching staff trying to blame everyone else around him. That ain’t what leaders do, they galvanise their team-mates, they make sure they’re organised, he has to know when he’s on that pitch what Liam Rosenior wants, and he has to try and implement it on the pitch for his manager.

Enzo Fernandez after full-time at Brighton

REUTERS

"They are not playing for their manager. Whether it’s him, [former managers Mauricio] Pochettino, [Graham] Potter, Enzo Maresca, they throw them all under the bus.

"The players need to look at themselves but the club needs to change, you are not going to shift the mindset of these Chelsea fans.

"[Marc] Cucurella was poor tonight, [Malo] Gusto was poor, the centre-backs are not good enough, whether it’s [Wesley] Fofana, [Jorrel] Hato or [Trevoh] Chalobah, they’re not good enough, the goalkeeper [Robert Sanchez] is not good enough.

"They need experienced players, no only in age but who have played a lot of games and know the Premier League, I want to see leaders on that team like the Chelsea of old.

"This is not Chelsea Football Club, it’s nothing like I recognise from a Chelsea Football Club… terrible."