ESTEVAO? Estewow, more like.
Chelsea’s newest wideboy strutted his stuff and showed why he could become the prince of the Kings Road.
Blues boss Enzo Maresca is telling anyone who will listen not to expect too much, too soon from the Brazilian winger.
Yeah, good luck with that, after this debut.
Estêvão Willian Almeida de Oliveira Gonçalves only turned 18 in April and inside 18 minutes of his first game at Stamford Bridge, he was already the darling of the Shed End.
The last goal he had scored was AGAINST Chelsea for former club Palmeiras in the quarter finals of the Club World Cup.
His first in a blue shirt, now with its shiny gold badge, summed up his all-round first-half performance perfectly.
Estevao sprinted back to help out defensively, came away with the ball and fed Marc Cucurella.
And when Cole Palmer’s lob came back off the bar seconds later, he reacted quickly and decisively to volley it into the net.
With barely a week of pre-season training under their belts, Estevao and club talisman Palmer already seem to have a great understanding.
Before they combined to open the scoring, Palmer’s laser-guided pass had found the winger, whose rapid run and cross set up Cucurella for a shot.
Then the young Brazilian played a beautiful ball through for Palmer before collecting the backheeled return, jinking past a couple of men and firing in a shot that was blocked.
After the goal, Esteavo’s confidence soared still further. He went through some of his tricks as he popped up all over the pitch.
Not everything he tried came off, but everyone was watching.
Late in the half he had another shot blocked when a pass might have been the better choice. No-one was complaining, though.
When Palmer went off at the break, Estevao moved into the No 10 role and Pedro Neto had the unenviable task of replacing him on the right.
The Portugal international may already be worried he will end up playing second fiddle to Chelsea’s new star.
Estevao was involved but less effective in the second half, and dragged a great chance to score again wide.
But the boy in the orange boots had already done enough to light up the evening.
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