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After Chelsea’s star man Cole Palmer was ruled out during the warm-up of their Premier League clash against West Ham, teenage sensation Estevao Willian seized the opportunity to showcase why Blues fans are so excited about his arrival.
The 18-year-old stepped in for Palmer to make his first Premier League start, though it began on a shaky note when his misplaced flick gifted Lucas Paquetá a chance to fire the hosts ahead in the sixth minute.
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In a match reported by the BBC, unfazed by the early mistake, Estevao quickly grew into the game, proving why Chelsea were willing to spend £29 million to secure his services.
His standout moment came in the first half when he produced a clever run and precise pull-back for Enzo Fernández’s close-range finish, becoming the youngest Chelsea player—at 18 years and 120 days—to register a Premier League assist.
“He needs to adapt, he needs to make many mistakes to understand how the Premier League is different to Brazil,” Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca told BBC Sport.
“We conceded after he did the flick. He needs to understand, but he is a fantastic player.” Maresca said.
Estevao had drawn interest from several European giants, including Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester City, before opting for Chelsea.
Tipped as one of football’s brightest young prospects, he has already given fans a glimpse of his talent, having scored against Chelsea while playing for Palmeiras at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Team-mate Marc Cucurella praised the youngster’s maturity, saying: “I think he’s young, but he showed that he’s very mature.
He made very good decisions. All the new signings came here to help the team, to bring good energy and talent. We have an amazing squad, and I hope we can do good things this season.”
Former Chelsea and England goalkeeper Rob Green echoed the sentiment, noting Estevao’s fearless approach: “It looked like he played where the shirt didn’t weigh anything and there was no expectation.
There’s a real freedom—it’s like for Brazilian players, football is a party. It’s there to be enjoyed.”
Chelsea went on to cruise to a 5-1 victory, with Estevao leaving fans convinced that they had witnessed the beginning of something special.
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