Chelsea picked up a well-contested 2-0 win against Burnley on Saturday and now sit in second place, just three points behind league leaders Arsenal. Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez scored a goal each in the 37th and 88th minutes, respectively, to secure the victory for the Blues. Now, they have a game against Barcelona to look forward to.
There were some changes made to the lineup by Enzo Maresca for the matchup with Jamie Gittens getting the chance on the left flank ahead of Alejandro Garnacho. Additionally, Moises Caicedo was rested after the defensive midfielder has played constant football for so long. Andrey Santos started in his place.
Each and every Chelsea player played their part well against Burnley, but one individual amongst them particularly impressed with their performance. The player in question is none other than Santos, who was handed a rare start and made the most of it.
Maresca was full of praise for the Brazilian youngster after the game. As reported by Chelsea News, he said:
"He was ready. Andrey is doing really well, today was a tough game, he’s not always playing, we don’t always use him… it’s not easy when you’re not used to playing a lot."
Enzo Maresca impressed with Chelsea player's display against Burnley
Santos was brought back from Strasbourg after impressing on loan in France. Despite a slow start to the 2025-26 season, the 21-year-old has now emerged as a reliable option in the middle of the park for the Blues.
The youngster can cover multiple positions, including the defensive midfielder role, in addition to his preferred central spot. One could argue that his ability to win the ball from deep is the most impressive aspect of his game, even though he might be capable of playing further up the pitch.
The Brazil international has featured in 14 matches in all competitions for the Blues so far this campaign, scoring one goal and providing three assists. And while Estevao has grabbed most of the headlines, Santos' emergence this season has been impressive as well.
It's true that Santos still has some areas to improve upon, but his recent performances certainly prove his potential to become one of the best in his position in the near future. Let's see if he gets some minutes against Barcelona on the back of this display. He might have earned it but with the amount of depth the Blues have, you never know.