Are Chelsea better without Enzo Fernandez?

Chelsea’s 6-0 win over Everton was arguably the Blues’ best performance of the season.

The game featured individual brilliance from Cole Palmer, a Jordan Pickford clanger, a pointless penalty dispute and Alfie Gilchrist’s first goal for his boyhood club.

What it didn’t feature was Enzo Fernandez. The Argentine missed Chelsea’s mega win due to injury, after suffering a reported adductor problem in training last week.

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In his absence, Mauricio Pochettino’s side thumped Everton as Conor Gallagher and Moises Caicedo starred in the middle of the park. Palmer was deployed in a No.10 role and Sean Dyche’s team simply couldn’t get near Chelsea at times.

Gallagher and Caicedo were both excellent, and the question over whether Chelsea are better without Fernandez has arisen in the aftermath of the game.

Caicedo was at his Brighton best during the demolition of Everton, with the Ecuadorian dominating the midfield battle. He made six tackles and four interceptions, while he won 11 ground duels and completed two dribbles. It was an all-round sublime performance from someone who is yet to justify his insane price tag.

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The win over Everton was the first time that Caicedo has racked up 10+ ground duel wins in a single Premier League game this season. The last time he achieved that feat came in Brighton’s memorable 3-0 away victory over Arsenal in May 2023 (13 ground duels won).

It may be coincidental that arguably his best performance in a Chelsea shirt came without Fernandez next to him, however it has become increasingly apparent that they aren’t particularly suited to playing in a double pivot together.

Caicedo is an excellent defensive presence, but his immense passing and dribbling skills have rarely been on show next to Fernandez. In addition, the 2022 World Cup winner is a slight liability when asked to cover large spaces defensively, which is a requirement in Pochettino’s current system, and this has increased the burden on Caicedo in the 2023-24 campaign.

Gallagher, on the other hand, has a fantastic engine and his running power on Monday night worked well next to Caicedo.

Are Chelsea better without Enzo Fernandez?

In the Premier League so far this season, Chelsea have won nine, drawn eight and lost eight of the 25 games Fernandez has started.

Their record without him starting is four wins and two defeats in six matches.

In terms of points per game (PPG), Chelsea have picked up 1.4 PPG with Fernandez in the starting XI, compared to 2.0 PPG with him starting on the substitutes bench or missing from the matchday squad entirely.

The sample size of results without Fernandez starting is evidently far smaller, while Chelsea’s opponents in these matches are all currently in the bottom-half of the Premier League table (Brentford, Sheffield United, Wolves, Crystal Palace, Luton and Everton).

Therefore, it’s hard to draw a conclusive argument, but it’s certainly interesting that Chelsea have a better PPG record without Fernandez starting in the Premier League this season.

The Blues aren’t necessarily worse with Fernandez starting, but it’s evident that a double pivot of Caicedo and the ex-Benfica star is not optimal in Pochettino’s current system and doesn’t suit either player particularly well.

Considering they cost a combined €237 million, that’s a huge concern, and pressure may be heaped on Romeo Lavia to fix Chelsea’s midfield woes next season.