Enzo Fernandez was always going to start in Chelsea’s highly-anticipated tie against Barcelona on Tuesday.
Fernandez played the full 90 minutes of Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over Burnley last weekend, while the Blues have Arsenal next, but the midfielder is too important a player to be rested.
That was clear to see as Chelsea hammered Barcelona at Stamford Bridge. Fernandez played a crucial role in the 3-0 win, setting up his side’s third goal.
The highlights from Chelsea’s dominant victory over Barcelona!
By doing so, he made something very clear to everyone watching the game.
Chelsea teammates Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella in discussion
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Enzo Fernandez has proven he’s a £100m superstar after Barcelona display
Chelsea paid Benfica more than £100m to sign Fernandez back in 2023, and their decision to do so has often been questioned. There has long been a feeling among many that the 24-year-old is not worth his price tag, but he proved them wrong on Tuesday.
Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan is one person who has been critical of Fernandez in the past.
When Jordan was discussing Fernandez’s form back in the 2023/24 season, he said: “The problem with Fernandez is they paid £105m for him and he’s not worth that kind of money.”
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Since then, Fernandez has drastically improved and the Argentine has now shown that he can do it in the biggest of games on the biggest of stages in club football.
Estevao Willian is the Chelsea star in the headlines right now following his high-level performance against Barcelona, but Fernandez was equally impressive and has the stats to prove it.
Enzo Fernandez celebrating after Chelsea's win vs Barcelona
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Enzo Fernandez stats vs Barcelona
In total, Fernandez finished the Barcelona game with one assist, one big chance created and two key passes. Yes, Hansi Flick’s ludicrous high line certainly contributed, but Fernandez still did well to fashion opportunities for his teammates.
He got the weight of his passes right and his accuracy throughout the game was very high.
Enzo Fernandez vs Barcelona Total
Minutes 90
Assists 1
Big chances created 1
Key passes 2
Accurate passes 53/61 (87%)
Total shots 4
Via Sofascore
Under Enzo Maresca, Fernandez has had some struggles, but he has been one of the best players in the Premier League this season.
With the Argentina international now shining in the Champions League and against one of Europe’s elite teams, there is no longer any reason to debate his transfer fee.