Chelsea’s controversial west London derby win over Fulham was full of drama, but one of the most intriguing moments came from Enzo Fernandez.

After converting a penalty in the second half, the Argentine midfielder celebrated with a noticeable edge, leaving fans wondering why the usually composed World Cup winner appeared so frustrated.

Footage circulated online showing Fernandez animated at half-time, even appearing to remove his captain’s armband and hand it to fitness coach Marcos Alvarez. Reports also suggested he looked angry following Joao Pedro’s headed opener just before the break.

But speaking after the game, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca explained that Fernandez’s reaction had less to do with outside factors and more to do with his own high standards.
“The answer is, he’s a Club World Cup winner, he’s a World Cup winner,” said the Chelsea boss.

“And I think probably he’s the only player in the world to win both titles.
And when he’s not good enough, he can recognise. And probably he was upset for that. Because in the first half I think he was not good enough.”

Maresca admitted that the midfielder’s first-half display wasn’t up to his usual level, but praised how he responded after the interval.

“Then in the second half he was, like the rest, brilliant. So probably the reason why he was not happy is because he can see that he was not good enough.
And in the second half I think he was brilliant. But at the end of the game they were all dancing or celebrating the win. So Enzo was there and he was happy.”

Fernandez’s penalty, which put Chelsea 2-0 up after Ryan Sessegnon’s handball was penalised by VAR, proved decisive in a match packed with controversial calls that left Fulham boss Marco Silva fuming.

For Maresca, though, the takeaway was simple: Fernandez holds himself to the very highest standards — and that’s why Chelsea fans saw such a fired-up celebration.