Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was
left purring at the performance of Cesc
Fabregas in Monday's win over Burnley,
calling him a "maestro".
In his Premier League debut for the club,
the midfielder had a hand in all three
goals in a 3-1 victory and made the kind
of impact that reinforced Mourinho's view
of what the Spaniard will bring to his
team.
In pre-season, Mourinho described
Fabregas as "the missing piece of our
engine", and said he was delighted to
attract the sort of "football brain" his
side were missing. His new team-mates
thought Fabregas "sees football too
fast", he added.
Cesc Fabregas v Burnley
The Spaniard had 106 touches, 18
more than any other player. He also
made the most passes (89), with an
87.6% success rate, and two assists.
The backing of his new manager will have
been music to Fabregas's ears after a
difficult summer.
His much-anticipated 2011 homecoming to
Barcelona, where he had come through
the famous La Masia academy before
leaving for Arsenal as a 16-year-old, had
turned sour.
Neither party showed much appetite to
continue their relationship, and he
became a target for a section of Barca's
fans towards the end of a campaign they
ended without a major trophy.
It looked like a return to Arsenal was on
the cards but his former club declined to
take up first option on him. Meanwhile,
he played just 34 minutes at the World
Cup as Spain's defence ended with
defeat in their opening two games.
Cesc Fabregas factfile
Born Spain, May 1987.
Joined Arsenal from Barcelona as a
16-year-old in 2003.
Scored 57 goals in 303 games for the
Gunners, and won the 2005 FA Cup.
Joined Barcelona in 2011, scoring 35
goals in 129 appearances.
Helped Barcelona win La Liga in 2013
and Copa del Rey in 2012.
13 goals in 89 appearances for Spain,
including winning the 2010 World Cup
and 2012 European Championship
Discarded by Barcelona, rejected by
Arsenal and shunned by Spain, Fabregas
must have been relieved when Chelsea
came to his rescue as they pounced to
sign him for a fee believed to be in the
region of £30m.
Why did it not work out for him at
Barcelona?
"It certainly didn't go to plan," said BBC
Sport's Spanish football writer Andy
West. "Although he played 96 league
games in three seasons, he never fully
established himself as a first-team
regular.
"When the big games came around, there
was always a question mark over whether
he'd be picked.
"It didn't help his cause that his role
changed - he generally had to fit in
wherever there was a space rather than
claiming a place of his own.
Fabregas did not enjoy the
same status at Barcelona as
the likes of Lionel Messi and
Andres Iniesta
"Sometimes he played centre midfield
instead of Xavi, sometimes left midfield
instead of Andres Iniesta, sometimes as
the 'false nine' instead of Lionel Messi,
but he never really 'owned' a position.
"In those circumstances it was difficult
for him to achieve consistency or
continuity. It always felt like he wasn't
completely trusted either by his coaches
or the fans."
Fabregas still managed an impressive 28
goals and 32 assists for the Catalans,
although that was not enough to quieten
his critics.
"He was whistled at, rather than booed.
When the team played poorly, he or Alexis
Sanchez, who has joined Arsenal, would be
the first ones the crowd jumped on,"
added West.
"It didn't help that he left as a
teenager and then cost a lot of money to
bring back."
Barcelona forward Pedro on
Fabregas's exit
"Everybody knows Cesc is a great
player, one of the best in his position
in the world. It's a shame for me
because obviously as a striker, he is a
guy who can provide you with very
good passes. As a friend, we've got a
very good relationship and I'm going
to miss him a lot. Chelsea have built a
very good team and with Cesc as well,
they're going to be very difficult to
beat in the Champions League."
The Champions League eluded Fabregas in
his time at the Nou Camp but he won the
Copa del Rey and Fifa Club World Cup in
his first season back and the Spanish
league title the next.
Why did Arsenal not sign Fabregas?
The Gunners' decision not to take up a
buy-back option on Fabregas certainly
does not appear to be because manager
Arsene Wenger thinks the player he
signed back in September 2003 is below
the standard required.
"When Fabregas first came to Arsenal I
remember Wenger pulling me over to
come and watch this young kid because of
the simplicity in his game, which was
quite unique really," recalled former
Arsenal defender Martin Keown.
Fabregas is Arsenal's youngest
ever first-team player and
goalscorer
"He could see a pass, while his vision and
technique was all top drawer from a
really young age. I had rarely seen
Wenger so excited about a player.
"I'm surprised it did not work out better
for him at Barcelona because I expected
him to be there for 10 years."
Fabregas became Arsenal's youngest ever
first-team player when he made his
debut aged 16 years and 177 days in a
League Cup game against Rotherham in
October 2003.
However, in 305 appearances for the
Gunners over eight seasons he won a
solitary FA Cup.
"All the players of that time were a
victim of the manager being quite
stringent with getting the economics
right at the club," continued Keown.
"Now, of course, they can spend big
money but they couldn't then and
Arsenal were losing players every
season."
Cesc Fabregas in numbers in league
football
Season Club Appearances Goals Assists
Total 212 35 70
Total 96 28 32
2004-05 Arsenal 33 2 5
2005-06 Arsenal 35 3 5
2006-07 Arsenal 38 2 11
2007-08 Arsenal 32 7 17
2008-09 Arsenal 22 3 8
2009-10 Arsenal 27 15 13
2010-11 Arsenal 25 3 11
2011-12 Barcelona 28 9 8
2012-13 Barcelona 32 11 11
2013-14 Barcelona 36 8 13
Fabregas scored 35 times and set up 70
goals in 212 top-flight appearances for
the north London side, but Arsenal
instead signed Alexis Sanchez from
Barcelona for £35m to bolster a squad
overflowing with attack-minded midfield
players like Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey,
Tomas Rosicky, Santi Cazorla and Jack
Wilshere.
"Wenger didn't take up the option to sign
him because he has an abundance of
talent already in those areas," added
Keown.
"I feel now that Ramsey is the new
Fabregas and you are going to block the
career of other players if you sign him.
It is somebody else's turn now and
Fabregas would have understood that."
Is Arsenal and Barcelona's loss
Chelsea's gain?
Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique felt
his close friend and international team-
mate was under-appreciated at the Nou
Camp.
"I really like Cesc and I know he is going
through a tough time because the club
don't appreciate him as much as they
should," he said before Fabregas joined
Chelsea.
"He is one of those players who would be
first choice at any other club in the
world, the star of the team."
If Fabregas felt unwanted and unloved
at Barcelona, that is not the case under
Mourinho. The Portuguese saw the player
at close quarters from the opposition
dugout in his first stint at Chelsea and
more recently at Real Madrid, and called
him the "future" of the west London
club.
Fabregas set up Andre
Schurrle's goal against Burnley
with a sublime defence-
splitting pass
"It may well be that he was not good
enough for Barca and their specific style
at the time, but Jose Mourinho sees
beyond that," said ex-Chelsea winger Pat
Nevin.
"I don't know how it is going to work out
but he has got a massive advantage in
that he has played in the English league
before.
"He is also joining a team that looks
incredibly strong, not only in skill, but
also in physicality.
"The latter quality will develop a lot of
space in the areas Fabregas wants and,
with good space, he will certainly create."
Fabregas did just that against Burnley
and, although tougher tests await, his
promising start suggests he will be a key
component in Chelsea's pursuit of
honours.
"I think Mourinho likes players who have a
point to prove," added Keown. "It is
intriguing to see whether Cesc can pull it
off.
"Mourinho is a manager with whom you
get the impression there is no time to
lose - it is now or never. That focus may
just take him to a new level."

No wonda EPL is spanish league dustbin...any player madrid or barca dnt nid gets dumped there....

ClintonNzedimma: No wonda EPL is spanish league dustbin...any player madrid or barca dnt nid gets dumped there....

I don't understand?