Chelsea fans will be hoping some of their new signings can have a similar impact that club legend Eden Hazard did in a high-profile pre-season game 10 years ago.
The Blues already have been given a glimpse of what Liam Delap and Joao Pedro are going to provide for them during the club’s triumph at the Club World Cup.
However, Estevao Willian, as well as Jamie Gittens, will be looking to impress in their first outings for the club when they play a couple of friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan at Stamford Bridge the weekend before the new Premier League season.
The Brazilian left an impression on a number of Blues players when he faced them in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup. Enzo Fernandez praised Estevao after Chelsea snuck past them with a 2-1 win.
Estevao Willian looking to replicate Eden Hazard’s Chelsea pre-season brilliance 10 years later
Estevao is set to return to training on August 4 with his new teammates, and will be hoping to feature in the friendlies against top European opposition.
Pre-season campaigns have often been an indicator into how Chelsea’s season is going to go, and defeats to Fiorentina and New York Red Bulls foreshadowed a 10th place finish in 2015/16.
One bright spot though was a win on penalties against Barcelona following a 2-2 draw which club legend Hazard lit up in the first half.
The Belgian picked up the ball about 35 yards from goal, before driving towards goal and skipping past four players before opening the scoring with a fine finish.
Hazard was off the back of a title-winning season with the Blues, however what was about to come is something Estevao will not want to think about.
Hazard’s nightmare 2015/16 season
10 years ago marks the unwanted anniversary of one of the most disappointing seasons in Chelsea’s recent history as they looked to build on their Premier League and League Cup victories under Jose Mourinho.
By December, the Portuguese manager was sacked and Chelsea sat just a point above the relegation zone, eventually salvaging a 10th placed finish.
It feels unlikely that the same will occur with Enzo Maresca this season, and the new signings are set to plug any gaps that were seen in the first team squad.
With Estevao not being loaned out for the upcoming campaign, there is plenty of excitement that he can make an immediate impact in what is set to be a stacked season on four fronts for the Blues.
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