Amazing Chelsea ace was even better than Fernandez

Chelsea delivered yet another top-class performance, smashing Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side 3-0 at Stamford Bridge and going level on points with Arsenal after 13 games played in the Premier League.

Enzo Maresca’s men held 64% possession against the Villans, creating two big chances, taking 17 shots in the game, and generating 1.61 xG. The goals were scored by Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernández, and Cole Palmer, as the Blues continued their rich vein of form.

There were some key performances all over the pitch for Chelsea, one of which was the performance of 23-year-old midfielder, Fernandez, who scored a goal in back-to-back weeks, continuing his fine streak of form since returning to the side.

Enzo Fernández’s performance in numbers

Fernandez found himself out of the Premier League starting XI under Maresca for a few weeks, as he chose to prioritise physicality in central areas, starting Roméo Lavia alongside Moises Caicedo.

However, since his return to the starting XI, Fernandez has made himself undroppable, scoring goals in successive Premier League games, and providing five assists in his previous four outings.

Alongside his goal against Aston Villa, Fernandez also managed two key passes, two out of two successful dribbles, and won six of his 11 ground duels, making three tackles.

The excellence of Fernandez has made him one of the first names on the team sheet in recent weeks, but he isn’t the only one, as Marc Cucurella is making himself undroppable with his performances, and it was another excellent one against Villa.

Marc Cucurella’s performance in numbers

The 26-year-old Spaniard has made 15 appearances so far this season in all competitions, contributing to three clean sheets in his 1,100 minutes played.

Cucurella brings leadership, tenacity and hunger to the Chelsea team, making it a nightmare for attacking players to face him, getting stuck in, winning his duels, and getting under the opposition’s skin.

Against Villa, the full-back had an enormous 127 touches – the most of anyone on the pitch – and made 105/109 passes (96% completion). His sturdy nature on the ball, mixed with his aggression off of it, made him pivotal in this game.

The Spanish defender won four out of his seven ground duels, won his only aerial duel in the game, and made four tackles, clamping down his side of the pitch with his 1v1 defending. That said, it was his attacking contribution that was most impressive, steamrolling Jaden Philogene before taking the ball on the overlap to supply Jackson’s goal.

Emery tried to switch things up after 66 minutes, throwing Leon Bailey on the right to run at Cucurella, but the Spain international continued to come out on top, playing a huge part in Chelsea’s clean sheet.

Many questioned the £60m fee Cucurella cost the club back in 2022, especially after his tough start to life in blue. But since the halfway point of last season, the 26-year-old has shown his quality and settled into a real role in this squad. Now, many fans would suggest that the price tag was a bargain for what he brings to the side.