Sunday’s Chelsea win wasn’t pretty. Once again, the Blues struggled in the first half, but this time they had a magician on the pitch to make things happen.
Estevao has been in and out of the team of late, treated carefully by Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior but also suffering from illness recently. The game yesterday marked his return to the team, and boy did he make it count.
The winger provided the moment which changed the game, latching onto a backpass near the halfway line and carrying it all the way to the Palace goal, despite the close attentions of the speedy Tyrick Mitchell.
Impressive stats of Estevao’s superb driving run
Kieran Gill reports on Estevao's run.
Kieran Gill reports on Estevao’s run.
According to Kieran Gill of the Daily Mail, who was quoting OPTA’s stats, the winger ran 57.1 yards, 19.4 before he picked up the ball and 37.7 with it.
Of course it wasn’t just the ground he covered which was impressive, it was the way he held off Mitchell, cleverly taking each touch of his dribble to keep the ball away from the defender. It really showed the maturity of a much older player.
It forced Estevao to run diagonally across the goal, away from his marker, narrowing his angle to shoot. But when the time came, he made no mistake, drilling it past Dean Henderson.
In other news…
The first official Chelsea signing of the Liam Rosenior era has arrived – and would you believe it, it’s a teenager. Yisa Alao comes in from Sheffield Wednesday, with bags of talent and a high ceiling. The question is what comes next for him.
One major issue under Rosenior so far has been set pieces – and there’s no sign yet that that will change. All 5 of our goals conceded under the new coach so far have been set piece adjacent.
More Stories about Estevao Willian
Estevao warms up for Chelsea win.
Estevao slams in after a counter attack.
Estevao Willian against Arsenal.