Former Chelsea star Joe Cole has issued a stark warning to his old club following Andrey Santos' exceptional performance against Burnley, suggesting the Blues risk repeating past mistakes with their talented squad.
Breakthrough Performance at Turf Moor
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca made the bold decision to bench key midfielder Moises Caicedo for Saturday's match against Burnley, handing 21-year-old Andrey Santos his first full 90 minutes in Premier League football. The Brazilian, signed from Vasco da Gama for £13 million in 2023, had previously spent seasons on loan at Nottingham Forest and Strasbourg before his breakthrough this campaign.
Santos seized his opportunity with both hands, delivering a Player of the Match display that earned him a 9/10 rating from The Express. The publication highlighted his excellent defensive skills in the central role, with his performance coming at Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon.
Cole's Glowing Assessment
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Cole described Santos as outstanding, particularly praising his defensive contributions. The former Chelsea midfielder emphasized how Santos effectively filled the void left by Caicedo's absence.
He was outstanding, Cole stated. It wasn't much on the ball, he was very tidy and efficient, but off the ball... we questioned how Chelsea would react without Caicedo today because of the things that he can do and blocking runs and breaking down play, but he was absolutely outstanding.
Cole went further, questioning whether any club in the league could match Chelsea's midfield depth: Every time there was a bit of danger, he sniffed it out. Sometimes, players have a natural ability with this and he seems to be one of those players. Chelsea now have Enzo, Lavia, Caicedo and Santos as well - is there a collection of four central midfielders better in the league? I don't think there is.
Selection Dilemma Looms for Maresca
The impressive showing has created what Cole describes as a significant conundrum for manager Enzo Maresca. With crucial matches against Barcelona and Arsenal approaching, the Italian manager must carefully manage his midfield options.
Cole reflected on Chelsea's history with talented players seeking opportunities elsewhere: That's not changed at Chelsea, we've seen players who have come in and some have bided their time to get in the team and some, most famously your De Bruynes and Salahs, have gone and started their career elsewhere.
The former England international added: How many games is he going to play? What's his minutes? If Chelsea got desire to go deep into all competitions, I think he'll play enough to satisfy him now. For me, he looks like a starter and there's a lot of players at Chelsea.
Maresca himself acknowledged Santos' performance after the match, stating: Andrey's position is the position he played today. Usually with us he goes higher up because we have Moi but we needed to find a solution. He was very good.
The situation presents both an opportunity and a challenge for Chelsea as they navigate multiple competitions while keeping their talented squad content and motivated.
