Chelsea midfielder Andre Santos has said that the Premier League is even tougher than the UEFA Champions League. The 21-year-old has been at Stamford Bridge since arriving from Vasco da Gama in January 2023.
Santos, 20, has scored once and provided five assists in 36 games across competitions for the Blues, with the lone goal and four of the assists coming this season.
Having had his first taste of Champions League football - providing two assists in five games - Santos hasn't provided a goal contribution in 20 outings in the Premier League, where Liam Rosenoir's side are fifth in the standings.
"The Premier League is very difficult, even more difficult than the Champions League," he said (as per GeGlobo via Absolute Chelsea).
On his Champions League debut, Santos played 22 minutes in a 3-1 defeat at Bayern Munich in the league phase before registering goal contributions in his next two outings in the competition - a 5-1 home win over Ajax and a 2-2 draw at Qarabag.
The Blues - after finishing sixth in the league phase - qualified directly for the Round of 16 of the Champions League, where they face reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain away in the first leg next month.
What's next for Chelsea?
Chelsea FC- Source: Getty
Chelsea FC- Source: Getty
Chelsea are coming off a 1-1 home draw with Burnley in the Premier League last weekend, finishing the game with 10 men after taking an early lead through Joao Pedro.
The Blues next face leaders Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday (March 1) in a blockbuster clash. Liam Rosenoir's side had drawn the reverse fixture 1-1 at Stamford Bridge in November.
They are also alive in the FA Cup, where they face Championship side Wrexham in the fifth round next Saturday (March 7). The Blues also fared well in the EFL Cup, where they made the semi-finals, losing 4-2 on aggregate to the Gunners following a 3-2 home defeat in the first leg and 1-0 away.
It's pertinent to note that the Blues created history last season when they won the UEFA Europa Conference League, becoming the first side to win European club football's three major cup competitions. They have won the Champions League twice - most recently in 2021 - and the Europa League as many times as well.