19 January 2024 , 14:39
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Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez believes his Argentina teammate Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa may have something against the Blues, such is the quality of his performances.
The pair are friendly faces on the international stage having tasted World Cup success together little over a year ago but are set to face each other in FA Cup action later in January. Since his £106.7million move to the Premier League 12 months ago, Fernandez has faced Martinez twice and tasted defeated each time.
Chelsea have not been able to find a way past Martinez in either of those two clashes, with the first in April seeing the end of Graham Potter's tenure in charge of the west London side. Villa, under the tutelage of Unai Emery, have established themselves as a Premier League challenger since the the Spaniard's arrival in the Midlands.
The Villains currently sit fourth in the Premier League, 12 points clear of Chelsea. Mauricio Pochettino's side hold big ambitions in the domestic cups as they try to secure qualification to European competition, and Fernandez knows that Martinez will stand in his way.
"It's a big deal," he told ESPN Argentina. "With Chelsea, he always gets bigger, I don't know what he has against us. It's going to be special to play against Dibu [Martinez]."
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Fernandez is happy to see the success of his teammates in the Premier League, however. In addition to Martinez, Julian Alvarez, Alexis Mac Allister, Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero are enjoying success in the division, among others.
The Chelsea midfielder is happy in particular to see Alvarez performing well for Manchester City, with the duo having shared the pitch together for River Plate. Both players departed their homeland in 2022.
“It is good to see a teammate in the Premier, it is one of the best leagues, it is a great pride to be able to face them," said Fernandez. "Everyone is showing a high level, Julian is scoring goals and assists. He is showing a lot and I am happy for him."
Fernandez is happy to be forming a new partnership with Moises Caicedo at Stamford Bridge, however. The Argentina international suggests he has a great relationship with the Ecuador star and that translates to the pitch.
He said: “With Moi, we have generated a very good bond, we have a great relationship off the field, when it comes to playing the communication is different, we know that with a glance we understand each other. It is an honour to play with Caicedo, he brings us a lot and the duo... whether we are the best, time will tell, now we cannot put that pressure on ourselves."