Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola is the latest to sing the praises of Estevao Willian.
Much of the attention after this dominant 3-0 win has been on the young Brazilian, whose goal was undoubtedly the highlight of the night at Stamford Bridge.
Estevao outshone Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal after so much was made of this, their first meeting on the pitch.
It’s the home side’s man who will get all the plaudits, and Chelsea fans have been left in awe by Estevao.
Zola made sure to add some praise of his own after the final whistle.
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The Italian has become a regular on Amazon Prime’s Champions League coverage, and it’s always a pleasure to listen to him speak about his old club.
Zola thinks Estevao eases the burden of Cole Palmer’s absence, already seeing him as capable of assuming the responsibilities usually taken by the Englishman. And he has proved that to be the case once again.
Estevao celebrates his goal for Chelsea vs Barcelona
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
He was in a similar mood to most who watched that clash, brooding over the talent of Estevao.
Breaking down the goal, he said: “What I like about him is he is brave. Each time I see him, I see something new from him.”
It’s true. Since arriving from Palmeiras, the talented winger has kept raising the bar with moments that make you very happy to be a Chelsea fan. Estevao and Cole Palmer will be unstoppable together for years to come.
Estevao says Barcelona goal the most special moment of his career
Estevao’s stunning goal against Barcelona!
After the game, the magnitude of the moment wasn’t lost on the teenager.
Interviewed at the final whistle, Estevao said: “It all happened very quickly for me, it sort of happened before I knew it. I just found some space, wiggled my way through and then scored that goal. It was such a special moment for me in my career. I hope to score many more.
“It was definitely the best moment of my career so far. I want to score many more for many years. I’m so grateful that my family were here watching me.”
Estevao is blowing all expectations we had out of the water. He is magical, and now feels like the right time to confirm that this is the signing of the season — and Chelsea’s best since Palmer.