A split-second lapse in judgment has placed Andrey Santos at the center of a storm, as evidence suggests the Brazilian as the likely culprit behind the marking error that cost the Blues points against Burnley.
Chelsea‘s draw with Burnley ended up being blown right up after Liam Rosenior revealed that the player who was told to mark Zian Flemming didn’t even do his job.
It led to plenty of pundits like John Obi Mikel slating the manager for not being brave enough to call out the player at fault, citing Enzo Maresca doing a similar thing in his time at Chelsea.
Similar to the discipline situation, it feels as if Rosenior is almost scared to upset any of his Chelsea players by calling them out for their mistakes.
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Andrey Santos looks like the guilty Chelsea party
According to the Daily Mail, the signs point towards Andrey Santos being the player who did not mark Flemming for Burnley’s equaliser.
Andrey Santos went and marked Flemming when Burnley got another corner one minute after the goal, whereas for the equaliser, the midfielder was zonally sticking to the penalty spot instead.
It wasn’t the first time that Santos did something wrong during the Burnley clash, with Rosenior unhappy at a passage of play that saw him give the ball away.
However, this is unusual for him. Santos has arguably been one of the players of the season so far.
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Andrey Santos’ incredible season to date at Chelsea
Andrey Santos’s 2025–26 season has been a story of emergence, largely thanks to his reunion with Liam Rosenior. After a record-breaking loan spell at Strasbourg, where he scored 11 goals, Santos has quickly turned into a vital cog in Chelsea’s midfield.
To date, he has amassed 20 Premier League appearances, establishing himself as Rosenior’s preferred single pivot. His metrics highlight a player who provides the control Chelsea previously lacked, boasting a 93.8% passing accuracy and ranking in the 86th percentile for defensive contributions.
Despite the recent marking lapse against Burnley, Santos has been largely undroppable and should be cut some slack.
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