Forget Palmer: Chelsea's "phenomenon" could be their next Fabregas

Enzo Maresca labelled Chelsea‘s 3-0 thrashing at Brighton & Hove Albion last month the “worst performance” of his tenure to date.

Goalkeeping misery, more so, gave Aston Villa an in one week later, but Chelsea have since defeated Southampton – and comfortably at that. Obviously, tougher tests await, but the Blues are fifth in the Premier League and just two points away from third-placed Nottingham Forest.

Meanwhile, it’s patent Chelsea need to strengthen across a number of areas this summer, with the goalkeeping department, central defence and centre-forward spots all in need of facelifts.

That said, Chelsea need to rally, overcome their tactical and injury issues and make headway over the coming months, finishing in a position that can plant seeds of success for next season.

Maresca doesn’t want the west Londoners to be branded a ‘one-man team’, but Cole Palmer is clearly a cut above most attacking players in English football, and when he’s off the boil, it’s going to be keenly felt.

Cole Palmer’s recent form

The sun will shine again for Palmer, one of England’s most awe-inspiring and mercurial talents in a generation.

However, there’s no question he’s in a rut right now, dejected after the final whistle screeched at Stamford Bridge in midweek. Chelsea’s 4-0 win against Southampton made it seven matches without a goal contribution for the 22-year-old.

Palmer has the mindset of a champion, though, and his missed chances rankled some, for he has been the architect and arbiter of attacking success since joining the Blues from Manchester City in a deal worth £42.5m in August 2023.

He’s still rather good, of course. The Three Lions star has racked up 14 goals and 6 assists from 27 top-flight fixtures this term, with Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher even calling him “the best player in the Premier League” at the beginning of October.

Around the same time, former Chelsea superstar Cesc Fabregas hailed Palmer as a “gamechanger,” similar yet different to his own stomping days at Stamford Bridge.

Palmer is his own player, and though he’s a playmaking genius, he operates a different realm to the Spaniard. However, another member of Maresca’s squad is stepping up right now, and might prove to be the club’s next version of their one-time midfield maestro.

Chelsea’s next Cesc Fabregas

Fabregas earned his stripes at Arsenal before leaving for Barcelona in a deal worth £35m in 2011. He was 24 years old.

A deep-seated connection with London and the Premier League saw him move to Chelsea in 2014, then aged 27 and cultured as one of Europe’s most talented and intelligent deep-lying playmakers.

Since stats-led site WhoScored began collecting data in 2009/10, Fabregas has been recorded as having played out his career with an 85% pass success rate across various clubs and for his country.

Moreover, the 2010 World Cup winner averaged 2.1 key passes per game, serving as an accurate barometer for his gifts on the ball.

Fabregas played the full gamut of midfield roles throughout his playing career, thriving in a deep-lying playmaker’s role when Chelsea stormed to the Premier League title under Antonio Conte in 2016/17.

Previously, he’d been more advanced in his maiden year for the Blues, winning the Premier League for the first time for the legendary Jose Mourinho.

What never faltered was his creativity and willingness to make things happen. Anyway, what does all this pertain to? Well, Chelsea have found their new version of the Spain star in Enzo Fernandez.

Like Cesc, Fernandez had earned himself a World Cup winner’s badge before moving to Stamford Bridge, leaving Benfica for Chelsea in a whopping £107m deal in February 2023.

He was the talk of the town to be sure, with talent scout Jacek Kulig even hailing him a “phenomenon” in the overtures of his transfer to England.

There’s no doubting the Argentina international’s struggles throughout his two years at the club, himself acknowledging back in December it was “very difficult” to begin with.

He’s starting to come into his own this season. The 24-year-old has notched four goals and eight assists from 31 appearances – many of which coming in a flurry from November through to December – but the overall influence of his performances are shown through impressive progression metrics.

As per FBref, Fernandez ranks among the top 17% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 16% for assists, the top 5% for shot-creating actions and the top 14% for both passes attempted and progressive passes per 90.

A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 metres closer to the opponent’s goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.

Further, he’s averaging 2.1 tackles and 4.4 ball recoveries per Premier League match, as per Sofascore, bespeaking his tenacity and willingness to get stuck in across the park.

His skill as a dictator of play could hold the key for Chelsea’s lasting success as a European superpower. The club’s form is temporary, and Maresca has shown through early-season promise that he’s got the nous and wherewithal to lead this outfit to success.

Back in December, The Athletic’s Liam Twomey noted Fernandez’s role in Maresca’s system may be somewhat nebulous, but that he’s “too valuable not to include”.

When at the top of his game, Chelsea’s stars such as Palmer will go from strength to strength, feeding off the South American’s impetus, technique and intelligence.