"It’s amazing to play with both of them" - Chelsea star on playing alongside Conor Gallagher and Enzo Fernandez at the club
Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo has heaped praise on his midfield partners Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher.
The trio has been the go-to combination for manager Mauricio Pochettino, combining two expensive signings with a homegrown player. Caicedo has definitely been under the scanner ever since his British record transfer to Stamford Bridge. He joined the Blues from Brighton in the summer of 2023 for a reported £115 million fee.
While Pochettino's men have had a turbulent season so far, Caicedo has started to get into his groove and looks more comfortable controlling the tempo of the game on the pitch.
Caicedo described current Chelsea captain Gallagher as a "machine" and also praised Enzo Fernandez's attacking capabilities. Speaking ahead of the Blues' crucial clash against Tottenham Hotspur on May 2 (Thursday), Caicedo said (via Chelsea's official website):
"Conor is like a machine, you know? I like to play alongside Conor and Enzo. With Conor, he has different characteristics. Enzo is more of an offensive player and Conor is more defensive and he helps me a lot when we need to recover the ball. It’s amazing to play with both of them."
While the three midfielders have operated as favorites for a massive chunk of the campaign, their partnership was recently broken as Enzo Fernandez suffered a season-ending injury.
Gallagher, who found himself warming the bench for much of the previous season, has started 32 of Chelsea's 33 Premier League matches this time around (he missed one game due to suspension). He has also captained the club in the absence of Reece James, who is recovering from an injury.
Chelsea hoping to finish strong in the last few games of the season
It seemed like the Blues had found their groove when they put six goals past Everton's defense in mid-April. However, their poor form returned to haunt them as a resurgent Arsenal side annihilated them 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
Their game against Aston Villa started off in similar fashion, with the Blues conceding two goals in the first half. However, fans witnessed a turnaround in the second half as Chelsea put up a decent performance, but not enough to take all three points.
Pochettino's men will take on Spurs off the back of a 2-2 draw against Villa and Caicedo has stated that it's a clash he's looking forward to. He said:
"It’s a massive derby. I hope I am going to play and it would be amazing to play against them and show our football. Win that game and it would be amazing for us."
The Blues currently occupy the ninth spot on the Premier League table after 33 games. Champions League-spot-chasing Spurs are fifth, having played as many games.
They'll be hoping to move up the ladder while Chelsea will be hoping to return to winning ways.