“That position without him is puzzling” – BBC pundit shares what he noticed about Chelsea without £180m-per-week ace

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Chelsea’s Midfield Transformation Under Maresca Leaves Fernandez on the Bench

Chelsea, under the guidance of Enzo Maresca, are becoming a formidable force in the Premier League after a challenging year and a half under Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino. Maresca has started to shape his team into a more consistent and feared side, and his latest tactical tweak has sparked a lot of discussions. Against Liverpool, the Italian manager made the bold decision to leave Enzo Fernandez out of the starting lineup, opting instead for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia as his midfield double-pivot—a move that left former player Nigel Reo-Coker baffled.

Fernandez’s Surprising Omission in a Crucial Game

Earlier in the summer, Fernandez was named Chelsea’s captain in a pre-season friendly against Real Madrid, stepping in for Reece James, who was injured. Throughout the season, Fernandez has carried the captain’s armband in James’ absence. However, for the big clash against Liverpool, he was dropped from the starting XI, only coming on as a substitute in the second half to replace Lavia, who had an impressive performance at Anfield.

Reo-Coker’s Confusion Over Fernandez’s Captaincy

Nigel Reo-Coker expressed his surprise at Fernandez being benched in such an important match. Speaking on BBC Sport’s Premier League review, he called it a puzzling decision from Maresca, especially given Fernandez’s role as club captain.

“I do think it’s hard to criticise Chelsea today,” Reo-Coker remarked. “When you consider where they’ve been, the absolute circus of a football club that they were, people had so many opinions about them. But now, they’re putting in great performances.”

However, Reo-Coker found Maresca’s midfield selection curious. “What puzzles me is that I looked at the midfield partnership of Lavia and Caicedo, and I thought that’s the best Chelsea have looked in the middle of the park. They looked strong in there.”

Fernandez’s Absence in a High-Stakes Match

Reo-Coker highlighted the strange situation regarding Fernandez’s role. “At the start of the season, you make Enzo Fernandez your club captain, but he’s not playing in what is probably one of your biggest games so far, away at Anfield against title contenders Liverpool. That’s a very interesting decision.”

Caicedo and Lavia Impress at Anfield

Despite the confusion surrounding Fernandez’s absence, Chelsea’s midfield duo of Caicedo and Lavia proved to be effective. Caicedo contributed an assist for Nicolas Jackson’s equalizer, and Lavia excelled at breaking Liverpool’s press. Unfortunately, Chelsea’s defensive issues were the reason they ultimately lost the game.

For now, Maresca’s choice to experiment with his midfield has shown promise, but it also raises questions about Fernandez’s future role, especially with the captaincy in play.