Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca admitted that he is encouraging Enzo Fernández to enter the opponent’s box more often to be a greater goal threat.
The Argentine midfielder was Chelsea’s match-winner at a wet and windy Leicester Metropolis, setting up Nicolas Jackson’s opening goal in the 15th minute before sealing the three points with a goal of his own late in the second half.
Fernandez has not been assured of a starting place this season, battling with Moisés Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to be one of Chelsea’s two central midfielders, but staked his claim for a more common place with a player of the match.
The goal was Fernandez’s eighth in Chelsea colors and his first in 16 appearances this season, prompting Maresca to reveal after the match that he is trying to modify the 23-year-old’s role in a bid to take him further up the ranks. in the field.
“Today, I thought, was the right game to use Enzo, even if he was back.” [late] of international duty. I think he did very well,” Maresca said.
“I’m trying to convince Enzo [to play] Just like I did last year with Ndidi and Kiernan, attacking midfielders need to get into the box. The reason he scored today was because he was inside the area.
“And if I was outside the area, I wouldn’t have scored the goal. “We are happy with the way Enzo is doing.”
Fernandez’s outstanding performance was complemented by another strong performance from Jackson up front. The Senegalese international now has ten goals in 12 Premier League games this season (seven goals and three assists) and was once again essential to Chelsea’s fluid play.
“For me he is doing very well. I have said it many times, since we started, that he is working a lot with the ball and without the ball. He is making an effort to understand how we want to play,” Maresca noted about Jackson.
“Sometimes we use him almost as a midfielder, going down. Sometimes we use it attacking from behind. If you remember Brighton, or even today. It depends on the game plan.
“We are very happy with the way Nico plays with the ball, but especially with the way he plays without the ball, with the way he presses. Right now, we are very happy and we are sure that it will improve.” game after game.”
