Xabi Alonso Exposes Enzo Fernández’s “Hidden Flaw” That Maresca Overlooked in Chelsea’s Brighton Collapse
Fresh off masterminding a 4-0 El Clásico win at the Bernabéu, Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso turned his attention to Chelsea’s struggles, delivering a stinging critique of Enzo Fernández after the Blues’ 1-3 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on September 27, 2025. Speaking to Sky Sports, Alonso claimed Enzo Maresca had completely “missed the hidden truth” about his £107m midfielder.
“Fernández gave everything, but his best wasn’t enough,” Alonso said. “He’s dropping too deep, losing shape, and with his stamina fading, those gaps kill you. Against Brighton’s press you need dynamic pivots, not static generals. This isn’t the 2022 Enzo – fatigue is creeping in, and Maresca can’t see it.”
Chelsea’s Collapse at the Bridge
Chelsea had started promisingly. Fernández himself opened the scoring in the 24th minute, finishing coolly from Reece James’ free-kick. But Robert Sánchez’s 42nd-minute red card for a foul on Kaoru Mitoma flipped the contest. Reduced to 10, Chelsea folded: Danny Welbeck’s header leveled things, Maxim De Cuyper put Brighton ahead in the 90th, and Welbeck struck again three minutes later to seal Albion’s first Stamford Bridge win since 1977.
Amid Maresca’s furious focus on Estevao Willian’s “selfish” wing play, Alonso argued the real story was in midfield. Opta backed him up: Fernández covered just 9.1 km – his lowest all season – lost 12 duels, and misplaced 18 passes, twice his average. Those lapses gave Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh space to exploit, swinging the match.
Alonso’s Warning Shot
Alonso’s words carried weight, grounded in his own legendary midfield career. “I see it because I’ve lived it,” he said. “Fernández has vision, but without the legs to match transitions, he’s exposed. If Maresca doesn’t adapt, Enzo becomes a liability in big games. Pair him with youth like Andrey Santos, or rotate him out – otherwise, the heart’s there, but the engine’s gone.”
The comments directly contradicted Maresca’s own post-match view, where he blamed Estevao but still praised Fernández as “one of our leaders,” even after hauling him off at halftime for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Fan and Pundit Reactions
Alonso’s remarks hit hard among Chelsea supporters. On X, the hashtag #MarescaOut surged past 40,000 posts. One viral fan thread read: “Xabi’s nailed it – Enzo’s gassing out, Maresca blind to it.” Others called for reinforcements: “Time for Mainoo on loan – Fernández is costing us.”
Pundits piled on. Gary Neville described Alonso’s assessment as “a gut-punch for Maresca – listen or watch Fernández fester.” Jamie Carragher added: “Hidden truth? He’s right. Enzo’s quality when fresh, but the season’s grind is breaking him.” Brighton’s Fabian Hürzeler, meanwhile, acknowledged: “Fernández is class, but our press exposed the cracks – Alonso’s spot on.”
Maresca at a Crossroads
With Chelsea languishing in 7th (10 points from eight matches), tough fixtures looming against Southampton, Spurs, and PSG, and key injuries to Cole Palmer, Wesley Fofana, and Levi Colwill, Maresca faces a critical juncture. His possession blueprint depends on a midfield metronome – but Fernández, once that anchor, now looks like the weak link.
Insiders claim Maresca has overlooked signs of fatigue in training, obsessing over Estevao’s inconsistency instead. Alonso’s advice lands as both a warning and an opportunity: adapt the midfield now, or risk watching Fernández’s decline become Chelsea’s undoing.
For his part, Fernández struck a defiant tone on Instagram, posting a training clip captioned: “Stronger tomorrow 🇦🇷.” But the doubts linger. If Alonso is right, the “hidden truth” may soon be impossible to ignore.
