Estevao Willian of Chelsea during a training session
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Estevao Willian made his first start in the Premier League this season on Saturday, and the Chelsea winger put in a memorable performance.
Estevao did not score, but the 19-year-old’s display was a very exciting one. He made things happen with his positive play and was very unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet against Manchester United.
Estevao had two goals disallowed for offside, with the second being very marginal. After the way he played, it is quite surprising that was only his first league start under Xabi Alonso.
READ MORE:The special moment Estevao Willian and Xabi Alonso shared during Chelsea vs Man United
Xabi Alonso wants to see more from Estevao Willian in training
Alonso has his reasons for not starting the young Brazilian. He already has an unreal attack thanks to Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro, but that is not the only reason why Estevao is being snubbed.
Journalist Simon Phillips has claimed on Si Phillips Talks Chelsea that Estevao has not been doing enough in training this season. If that is the case, Alonso will clearly want to see more from the Brazil international.
Lacroix is set to miss the rest of 2026 through injury... what should Xabi Alonso do now? 😬
Switch to a back fourPlay Jorrel Hato at CB
Well he let us down badly didn't he. We could have conceded 2 in the first half both down to his individual mistakes
Take a big bite, Lacroix, you will recover quickly when you have a good appetite. My mother has told me this from I was a child.
I don't think there is any problem with tactics. Tuchel uses three defenders, Conte uses three defenders. No problem.The thin lineup is the problem.
However, he was satisfied with what he saw from his player on the pitch on Saturday. After the full-time whistle in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over United, Alonso praised Estevao’s performance.
It was deserved, but he was not the only one who shone at Stamford Bridge. Romeo Lavia had arguably his best-ever game in a Chelsea shirt.
If Lavia and Estevao remain in the starting XI for next Sunday’s clash against Sunderland, hopefully we will see more of the same.
How much distance did Estevao Willian cover vs Manchester United?
Does Estevao work hard enough in training? We are not privy to that kind of information. But in actual matches, perhaps he could do a bit more.
According to FotMob, he was only 14th for distance covered in Chelsea’s victory over United after covering 9.0 km. For context, fellow Chelsea attackers Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer covered 11.7 km and 10.6 km respectively.
No player actually covered more ground than Rogers, and that is perhaps the kind of effort Alonso wants to see from Estevao both in training and the Premier League. Estevao has the skill and flair, we all know that. But tactically, can he be a fit for Alonso and also meet his demands? Only time will tell.