Andrey Santos has offered a pointed reminder of the standards expected at Stamford Bridge, suggesting that Chelsea and Liam Rosenior is currently falling short.
Andrey Santos has established himself as a vital player during the 2025/26 season. Under Liam Rosenior, who previously coached him at Strasbourg, the 21-year-old has flourished in a deeper role, providing the defensive stability the team lacked earlier in the campaign.
Boasting a passing accuracy of over 91%, Santos has become the primary link between defence and attack, featuring in nearly every game since the managerial change in January.
Despite Chelsea’s recent struggles, including a difficult run that has left them four points adrift of the top five, Santos’ individual metrics remain impressive. He has recorded over 1,000 minutes of Premier League action, contributing massively to ball recoveries and successful tackles.
However, even he realises things aren’t how they should be at Chelsea right now.
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Andrey Santos expects better at Chelsea
In an interview with Chelsea following the Manchester City defeat, Andrey Santos has summed things up brilliantly, stating that things aren’t at the right standard right now.
“When you talk about Chelsea, you talk about winning games, which we’re not doing. It’s a difficult moment, but we have to work hard and keep going.”
It’s true. Chelsea should be in with a shout of a place in the top four, let alone the top five. But the defensive side of things is seriously worrying. Just two clean sheets in 17 games now.
Yes, the Blues have improved in some ways under Liam Rosenior and the players like him, but they’ve arguably gone further backwards than they were under Enzo Maresca.
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What is yet to improve under Liam Rosenior
Since Liam Rosenior’s arrival, Chelsea’s defensive stability has regressed significantly, characterised by a lack of discipline and a worrying inability to keep clean sheets.
Conceding eight goals over two legs against PSG was bad enough, and while Rosenior’s expansive style was intended to unlock players in attack, it has instead left the backline exposed, frequently leading to early goals and a vulnerability to counter-attacks that was less prevalent under Enzo Maresca.
Furthermore, the team’s performance against big teams has suffered, evidenced by a heavy 3–0 defeat to Manchester City and several defeats to Arsenal.
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