Andrey Santos completed his first full match of the season during Chelsea’s comeback win over Lincoln City on Tuesday night, and the 21-year-old received plenty of praise from fans for his efforts.
Chelsea’s overall performance was lacking against the League One side in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
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Lincoln took a well-deserved lead, raising hopes of an upset, but Chelsea responded after half-time with goals from Tyrique George and Facundo Buonanotte to take control.
Santos was one of Chelsea’s positives on the night, standing out in central midfield despite a poor team showing overall.
The Brazil international returned from his Strasbourg loan looking much improved, though he’s had limited minutes early this season. Even so, he seems ready to push Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez for more playing time in central midfield as the campaign goes on.
Andrey Santos catching attention for his aerial ability
Chelsea fans on X had plenty of positive things to say about Santos after his strong showing in the EFL Cup win at Lincoln. Many picked up on just how good the Brazilian was in the air throughout the match.
One supporter wrote: “Santos has ridiculous aerial ability for his height. Crazy.”
Another added: “Santos wins more aerial duels than any of those centre-backs.”
One fan commented: “Santos tracking runners and defending crosses into the box. My boy.”
Another said: “Santos works really hard. He’s solid defensively. There’s a good player in there.”
Santos may still be waiting for a regular run in the side, but it looks like only a matter of time before he gets his opportunity.
With Fernandez clearly struggling for form right now, testing out Santos alongside Caicedo might not be a bad idea. They could provide exactly what’s needed against Brighton both on and off the ball.
Santos stands out defensively as Chelsea struggle to cope physically
Even though Chelsea struggled to deal with Lincoln’s physicality in midweek, Santos certainly did his part defensively as he operated from the base of midfield. This included some notable headed clearances to help his teammates.
While at Strasbourg, Santos showed that he’s an all-action midfielder who contributes in all areas of the pitch.
With a bit more rhythm now at Stamford Bridge, giving him a stretch of games could be just what he needs to push on.
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