Chelsea’s young winger Alejandro Garnacho is starting to remind everyone why Manchester United fans once worshipped him. The 21-year-old Argentine is finally showing the spark that made him one of English football’s hottest prospects – and it seems Enzo Maresca’s tough love is working wonders.
Garnacho produced his best performance yet in a Chelsea shirt during the 3–0 win over Wolves at Stamford Bridge. He grabbed two assists on the day, setting up Malo Gusto’s opener before teeing up Pedro Neto for the third. Joao Pedro bagged the other after fine work from lively sub Estevao Willian. It was the first time Garnacho had delivered two Premier League assists in a single game, and it came on his 99th appearance in the competition.
That performance has been a long time coming. Garnacho’s move from Manchester United was far from smooth. Frozen out by Ruben Amorim and dumped into the so-called bomb squad, he spent weeks in limbo before Chelsea sealed a £40 million deal late in the summer window. The lack of football left him rusty and short of sharpness. He went six matches without a goal or assist and was ridiculed by Lincoln City fans after a poor Carabao Cup outing that saw him hauled off after 59 minutes.
But the tide has turned. Garnacho now has two goals and two assists in his last four matches and, crucially, is starting to look like the player Chelsea hoped they were buying. His manager says the secret is simple – hard work.
“He has had an open mind since we started,” Maresca said. “Last season he struggled, then got better and better. The message has always been work hard. On the ball he is good, but off the ball he has to work hard too. When he arrived, he was not training at 100 percent, but now he is getting there.”
The improvement was clear against Wolves. Garnacho linked beautifully with fellow Argentine Enzo Fernandez, who captained the side in Reece James’s absence. His early burst won a free-kick that Fernandez nearly scored from, and later he was denied by a fine save after a clever run. When Chelsea needed a breakthrough, Garnacho delivered, whipping in a perfect cross for Gusto before creating Neto’s late strike to seal victory.
Garnacho’s revival is no fluke. He struck in Europe against Qarabag and impressed in league wins over Tottenham and Sunderland. He is now ahead of Jamie Gittens in the pecking order on the left wing.
To silence the doubters, Garnacho still needs to score in the biggest games. But if Maresca’s mantra keeps sinking in, Chelsea may just have their next star on their hands.