Gary Neville tells Chelsea star ‘he isn’t kidding anyone’ after Man City defeat | Football

Goals from Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic got the reigning champions off to the perfect start as they kicked-off their Premier League campaign at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea had their moments but largely struggled in Enzo Maresca’s first game in charge, with Fernandez coming in for a lot of scrutiny.

The midfielder, who wore the captain’s armband in Reece James’ absence, was already under the microscope having been at the centre of a racism row following Argentina’s Copa America win and endured a very difficult opening-half.

He had little impact both offensively and defensively, and caught flak after being denied several penalties after going down after minimal contact.

Former Blues star Pat Nevin was equally critical, comparing Fernandez negatively to teammate Conor Gallagher who missed the match as he awaits his transfer to Atletico Madrid.

‘Enzo has been very, very quiet in that number 10 position,’ Nevin said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

‘You have to be central to everything in that position. If you’re Conor Gallagher you’d be thinking you can do better than that.

‘Enzo is not coming back and covering the space but he’s not doing much going forward either. He has to do more for the team defensively.’

Chelsea fans clearly felt the same way, chanting Gallagher’s song shortly after Haaland’s goal, with supporters unhappy at the treatment and sale of the England international.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.