Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool: Estevao Willian ‘is going to be special’

Senior officials at Chelsea have been expressing excitement about Estevao’s arrival since they agreed his signature more than a year before his eventual move to England.

Fittingly, Estevao scored a brilliant goal from a tight angle against Chelsea in a losing cause on his final appearance for Palmeiras this summer.

He left the Sao Paulo-based club with 27 goals and 15 assists in 83 games.

After that match, he was seen mingling with his future team-mates, including England playmaker Palmer, in what appeared to be a moment of respect between peers.

That game was perhaps an English audience’s first glimpse of Estevao, but Brazilian football experts have long tipped him for the top.

He was the first player under 18 to have 20 goal involvements in a single season in Brazil’s Serie A (12 goals and eight assists), breaking a record set by Neymar.

In the Club World Cup, he won ‘superior player of the match’ twice and, perhaps fittingly, impressed against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, having earned the nickname Messinho – ‘Little Messi’ – in Brazil.

It felt like a coup from Chelsea to beat some of Europe’s leading clubs, including Paris St-Germain, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, to Estevao’s signature.

He chose Chelsea due to his belief in their vision and the promise of a significant role in his first season, with his sights set on playing for Brazil at the 2026 World Cup.

Estevao consulted former Chelsea defender Thiago Silva before choosing Chelsea in 2024.

The Blues had planned to ease him in slowly, but Palmer’s injury and Estevao’s brilliance have led him to feature in every match – except the draw with Brentford which he missed because of illness.

Palmer hopes to return from a recurring groin problem after the international break.

But even in the star attacker’s absence, Estevao appears ready to deliver more big moments for Chelsea.

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