‘Freedom to express ourselves’ - Enzo Fernandez reveals how Liam Rosenior has changed Chelsea since replacing Enzo Maresca

Rosenior has overseen a solid start to life at Chelsea since replacing manager Enzo Maresca. Ahead of their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg defeat against Arsenal in midweek, Chelsea had scored three goals in three successive games. The Blues beat Crystal Palace 3-1, Napoli 3-2 in the Champions League and West Ham 3-2 in the Premier League. 

Now, Fernandez has hailed Rosenior's free-flowing attacking tactics. 

"Maresca gave us an identity, he was good for all of us," Fernandez told ESPN Argentina. "With the arrival of the new coach [Rosenior] there were changes, he gave each of us a lot of confidence and we're doing well. Things haven't changed much, he just works differently and we feel very good about achieving results and raising the level of play.

"The game plan didn't change that much. Liam gives us a bit more freedom in the final third, but we already had a foundation with Maresca. In the final meters, he gives us the freedom to express ourselves."

Fernandez has been linked with a potential move to either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain but he still has more than six years on his contract in west London. And he insists that he is "happy" at Stamford Bridge.

He added: "On a personal level, I feel great, I'm happy. I felt I grew both athletically and personally, and as the years go by, I feel much better. It's a combination of things; feeling good off the field has an impact on the pitch."

Rosenior, meanwhile, insists he has no worries over reports of Fernandez's future, adding: "It means nothing to me. When you’re a world-class player, there’s always going to be speculation that you can’t control. He’s a Chelsea player. He’s very important to me. I think we’re going to have a really good, hopefully winning relationship in the short term and the long term."

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

Fernandez joined Chelsea during the 2023 January transfer window and has won the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup. Now, he is eyeing Champions League glory. 

Speaking after their win over Napoli, he said: "It was a great match and we deserved to win. I want to thank my team-mates for today's victory and for their tremendous efforts in what is a very difficult stadium to come to. It had been a long time since Napoli had lost here and I'm very, very happy with the win and with qualification. As I’ve said, I think we're going from strength to strength. We're now in the last 16 and now we can look forward to the draw. We have a very good squad with good players, a great team, so we'll take it step by step but with a lot of confidence. Obviously, we're confident in our abilities, we're a great team and we're going to keep moving forward."

Fernandez currently has 11 goals and four assists to his name across 36 games for the club in an impressive campaign. 

Chelsea face Wolves this weekend as they look to boost their top-four hopes. A win could see the Blues move into the Champions League qualification places, as they currently sit just one point behind Manchester United in fourth. They are also 13 points behind current league leaders Arsenal.