Estevao Willian was superb for Chelsea after coming on in their 2-1 victory over Liverpool last weekend.
It was Estevao who scored the winning goal for Chelsea, arriving at the back post at exactly the right moment to tap the ball home.
Former Chelsea and Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge was in awe of Estevao’s movement, surprised that a player of his age is already making such good runs.
However, albeit an Under-20 game, nothing compares to the performance that Estevao put in against Sport Recife in 2024.
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Estevao Willian obliterated Sport Recife’s U20 side
Last year, Estevao lined up for Palmeiras’ Under-20 team in a match against Sport Recife’s Under-20s, and the winger absolutely punished them.
Estevao did not score in his side’s 3-1 win, but he did manage to register two assists. On top of that, he also made seven key passes.
What was truly ridiculous, though, was the number of successful dribbles Estevao completed. In total, the Brazilian recorded 12 successful dribbles as he terrorised Sport Recife’s backline.
| Estevao Willian’s numbers vs Sport Recife’s U20s | Total |
| Minutes | 90 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Touches | 51 |
| Accurate passes | 12/14 (86%) |
| Key passes | 7 |
| Crosses (accurate) | 2 (1) |
| Big chances created | 1 |
| Shots | 3 |
| Dribble attempts (successful) | 14 (12) |
| Ground duels (won) | 36 (18) |
If Chelsea scouts were at that game, they would have been stunned. It was a truly spectacular performance.
Estevao has since proven that he can perform at senior level at both Palmeiras and Chelsea.
The 18-year-old scored an amazing goal against Chelsea at the Club World Cup before joining the Blues to cause defences in England a problem.
Before scoring the winner against Liverpool, Estevao provided a very nice assist in Chelsea’s 5-1 victory over West Ham United after walking past the Hammers’ defence.
Right now, Estevao is arguably the best Under-21 player in the Premier League.
How many dribbles and key passes did Estevao Willian complete against Liverpool?
Against Liverpool, Estevao was nowhere near as effective with his dribbling, which is understandable, given the level of opposition.
According to Sofascore, Estevao attempted three dribbles but did not complete any of them. However, the Brazil international did register two key passes, create one big chance and score the all-important goal for Enzo Maresca‘s side.
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