Liam Rosenior was full of praise for Enzo Fernandez’s resilience after the midfielder proved decisive in the big moment again when we secured a dramatic victory over West Ham United.
Chelsea face a huge game this evening, when we take on Arsenal in the second leg of our Carabao Cup semi-final at the Emirates Stadium. A difficult task lies ahead, as we attempt to turn the tie around after a 3-2 loss in the first game at Stamford Bridge three weeks ago.
As always, the Blues are up for the challenge, though. Speaking ahead of this London derby, Rosenior highlighted the contribution of Fernandez when we proved we are capable of producing comebacks.
It was the Argentinian who completed our incredible comeback against West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday, as we fought our way level from 2-0 down at half-time, before Fernandez netted a dramatic added-time winning goal.
Fernandez has played more minutes than any other Chelsea player across all competitions this season, but our head coach has no fears about continuing to count on the 25-year-old in the big games.
‘He’s as fit as you saw against West Ham, arriving in the box in the 92nd minute,’ said Rosenior.
‘Enzo’s got a rare athleticism, it’s a gift where he can recover really quickly. The distances he covers, in terms of the data, is absolutely top, as is the quality and the leadership he gives the team.
‘I’m really enjoying working with him.’
However, Rosenior was also quick to point out that there is no first or second-choice starting line-up in his opinion. As far as he is concerned, selection decisions are made on merit and with the specific opponents and circumstances of each game in mind.
‘I don’t have a best 11, I never have done in all of the clubs that I’ve worked with,’ he insisted.
‘Why? Because the physical demands of the Premier League, Ligue 1, the Championship, with so many games, means you need a squad and you need to use the players in the correct way to challenge over the course of the season.
‘I’ve been in here for three and a half weeks, I’m just getting to know the players and I don’t have a best 11 in my mind. I try to pick the right starting team, but I also try to pick a bench that will give us the right finishing team.
‘So far, the substitutes in every game that we’ve played have made a huge impact. It’s not all down to my tactical stuff – there’s some part of that – but it’s down to their mentality to come on and help the team.’
