Declan Rice Vs Enzo Fernandez: Are Chelsea Going to Get an Early Look at their Dream Midfield this Saturday?
The Premier League matchup between Chelsea and West Ham United is always a fiery one, and considering how both sets of fans feel about the season they are having, this would be a great time for both managers to pick up a win.
Saturday’s game between the two London teams will be the latest in a long sequence of heated rivalries between the two clubs. Declan Rice and Enzo Fernandez, two young superstar midfielders, will play in the midfield for their respective clubs. The reason this is relevant is due to many predicting that Rice and Fernandez will be teaming up for Chelsea next year. At betinasia.com you can bet on who you believe will come out top. Before you head over to bet in Asia though here’s some information about these two stars.
Rice and £106 million Fernandez play similar positions on the field, but Rice is considered to be the more defensive player, while Fernandez is great at pressing from the front. Hence why many Chelsea fans are fantasing about them teaming up.
Also, Rice has gained possession 23 times in the defensive third for Chelsea in the Premier League this season, whereas Fernandez has done the same for Liga Portugal’s Braga (as he has only played once for Chelsea). Considering his price tag Chelsea fans will be hoping that he may someday join Chelsea’s best Premier League players.
The situation is the same in the central third of the field. When compared to Fernandez’s 22, Rice’s ball-winning percentage is much higher. On the other hand, things change drastically in the offensive third.
At Benfica, Fernandez had six occasions where he won the ball back for his team inside the offensive third, while Rice this year has only done this once. It’s clear here how much higher up the field Fernandez presses than Rice does. Furthermore, it highlights the dissimilar playing styles of Benfica and West Ham.
Fernandez also has more touches in offensive zones than any other player in their home leagues. For West Ham this season, Rice only had the ball 249 times, but the new Chelsea midfielder touched the ball 375 times in Benfica’s offensive third.
So, it’s not surprising that Fernandez has made six assists and Rice has only made one. However, neither are prolific goalscorers, both scoring one each this season.
Fernandez’s debut at Stamford Bridge
On Friday night, Enzo made his debut for Chelsea in a scoreless draw against Fulham, Chelsea’s crosstown opponent from West London. The 22-year-old’s fans gave him a standing ovation hoping that this was just the start of a long successful relationship with the club.
The Argentine was successful in all ten aerial duels in which he participated. He completed 74 passes (winning possession eight times) and eight passes inside the attacking third, among other things. It was a taste of Fernandez’s potential, and Chelsea fans can’t wait till Saturday’s game against West Ham to see him in action again.
Chelsea’s Interest in Declan Rice
Chelsea had a very busy January transfer window. There were eight acquisitions, but one for Rice was never considered.
The belief at Stamford Bridge last month was that West Ham still wouldn’t consider selling their captain. With only 12 months left on his contract, Declan Rice is anticipated to leave the London Stadium this summer.
Despite the Hammers’ best efforts to get Rice to sign a new deal, he remains uninterested in doing so. After keeping an eye on Rice for some time, Chelsea is set to make moves for the 24-year-old during the summer.
