Chelsea 1-0 Leeds United: Enzo Fernandez influence talked up by Calum McFarlane as Blues reach FA Cup final

Calum McFarlane has talked up the influence of Enzo Fernandez after Chelsea beat Leeds United to reach the FA Cup final.

In the first game of his second temporary stint as head coach, McFarlane led out a team at Wembley Stadium that has suffered five successive Premier League defeats, making Leeds the favourites in the eyes of many.

However, Fernandez's header from a Pedro Neto cross midway through the first half secured a 1-0 win and set up a showdown with Manchester City in the final.

Amid comments made during the March international break, Fernandez has served a club-imposed two-match ban and been heavily linked with a transfer away from Stamford Bridge.

While an exit may still occur in the summer if Chelsea miss out on European football, McFarlane was full of praise for the impact that the World Cup winner has in the first-team squad.

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Fernandez "can do a bit of everything"

Speaking to reporters at a press conference, McFarlane said: "I said that to him at the end, I said, 'you like scoring at the back post for me'. And he just laughed.

"He does that really well, he's done it all year. It's one of his biggest attributes, that when you attack down the right, his timing of his runs, his ability to actually get good distance and height on his jump and his heading technique is really good.

"He's a winner, he's got so much talent, he's got so much fight, he's massive for this group. And the best thing about Enzo is that he can do a bit of everything, but when it gets tough, you see the fight in him, you see him driving the group on, you see him making tackles, you see him fighting for every loose ball. So he was exceptional today and deserved his Man of the Match."

Having been used in a number of roles for Chelsea across 2025-26, McFarlane also touched upon the Argentina international's versatility.

McFarlane added: "It's something we rely on a lot. That's why he's changed position a lot over the last few years.

"He's played deeper, he's played as a No.10, he's moved about, but I think he's such a threat in the box that the higher up you play him, and he can drop down and he can drift, but the higher up you play him, he can really cause opposition's problems in that left half space and attacking the back stick."

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What next for Chelsea?

Before the FA Cup final on May 16, Chelsea must focus on trying to move up the Premier League table.

They now have a full week off before facing Nottingham Forest on May 4, with a trip to Liverpool to follow on May 9.

The home fixture with Tottenham Hotspur had been due to be played on the same weekend as the FA Cup final, but that will now be rearranged.

Chelsea's final Premier League game of the season is away at Sunderland on May 24.