Chelsea defeated Burnley 2-0 in this round of the Premier League, and Andre Santos performed well. Club legend Joe Cole believes that Chelsea has the "best combination of midfielders" in the Premier League and is convinced that the team he once played for has the strength to challenge for the championship after Burnley won three consecutive league victories.
Maresca chose to arrange Andre Santos to replace the regular selection Moises Caicedo, and this was only Andre Santos' third Premier League start. But partnering with Enzo Fernandez in the midfield, the 21-year-old Brazilian repaid the coach's trust with a man-of-the-match performance.
Cole believes Santos has proven he is capable of starting more frequently for Chelsea and stressed that no other Premier League team has such an impressive midfield configuration.
Joe Cole said: "I think Andre Santos performed well. His handling of the ball is still stable, but what is really amazing is his performance without the ball - we questioned before the game how the lack of Caicedo's interception coverage would affect the defensive system, but he can always accurately predict dangerous areas. Some players have a natural sense of smell in this area, and he is such a player. "
"Chelsea now has Enzo Fernandez, Lavia, Moises Caicedo And Andre Santos. Is there any team in the entire Premier League that has a better midfield combination? I don't think so. "
Former Manchester City player Joleon Lescott echoed this view: "The quality level of this group of players and the understanding of the game that Andre Santos showed today are excellent. He not only completed the counterattack, but in all the replay clips, he firmly controlled the ball after successfully defending - this is far better than simply completing a tackle and letting the ball fall again. It is much more important to enter the melee. It is amazing that such a young player has this level of understanding of the game, which usually requires a lot of experience. "
Joe Cole continued to add: "Some players failed to wait patiently at Chelsea - such as Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah. Time? But if Chelsea aims to play on multiple fronts this season, I think the current opportunities will satisfy him. In my opinion, Andre Santos already has many such players. Cole Palmer's return from injury has become a sweet worry, because Palmer has to play, which means that the team may return to the championship.