Chelsea put their poor form in the Premier League behind them when they pulled out a sensational last-minute win against Liverpool thanks to Estevao Willian’s last-minute winner.
Estevao was one of the subs who came on in the second half as Enzo Maresca rolled the dice and changed the entire frontline to try and find a winner against the champions.
Estevao was mobbed by his teammates at full-time, including Cole Palmer, who was one of the many who were forced to watch from the sides as the injury problems continue to stack up at Stamford Bridge.
For the Brazilian though, it was the moment where he could properly announce himself to his new side, after more than a year of excitement before he had joined the club.
Brazilian media react as Estevao wins it for Chelsea vs Liverpool
It had by no means been a poor start for the youngster in West London, however he will have been desperate to get off the mark in front of goal, and he certainly chose a good moment to do so.
After becoming somewhat of a legend in his limited time at Palmeiras, the winger remains popular in Brazil, and they were delighted to see the impact he made against Liverpool.
GE Globo stated that Estevao changed the game when he came on, describing his impact as ‘electrifying’.
They said: “The forward entered the field in the 29th minute of the second half, when coach Enzo Maresca took off all three starting strikers, including João Pedro. Liverpool were the better side at that point, but Chelsea became more dangerous with the changes. Estevão created good plays down the right, showing his personality and repertoire. In addition to his short dribbling, he also made excellent passes to find open teammates.
“The best was saved for later. In the 49th minute, Enzo delivered a sensational pass to Cucurella in the box. The full-back delivered a low cross, the ball sailed past everyone and reached Estevão, who fired a right-footed shot into the net. During the goal celebration, he was embraced by practically every player involved. Even coach Enzo Maresca ran to celebrate with Estevão.
“Estevão came on very well, and the game was back and forth, electrifying, but with Chelsea in the lead. Gittens and Estevão were both stopped by Mamardashvili, Enzo hit the post, until, in stoppage time, the Brazilian opportunistic and scored his first Premier League goal.”
Estevao making waves for both club and country
Despite Chelsea having a South American core that includes Joao Pedro and Andrey Santos, only Estevao has been chosen by Brazil to represent his country during the international break.
Maresca will be delighted to keep some of his players at the club, with the ongoing injury crisis and having players forced to play through the pain barrier.
Estevao scored his first goal for Brazil during the prior international break, and will be feeling on top of the world following his recent impact for both sides.
The Chelsea boss will just be hoping that he does not add himself to their stricken list while he is away from Stamford Bridge, given the problems he is already experiencing.
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