Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso expressed his satisfaction with Estevao Willian after the 19-year-old winger made his first Premier League start of the season during Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge. Although the Brazilian saw two goals disallowed for offside in the 15th and 71st minutes, his performance was met with applause from the home supporters when he was substituted for Malo Gusto in the 87th minute.
Before this breakthrough appearance, Estevao had managed just 47 minutes of league action across six substitute cameos, supplemented by two Carabao Cup starts. During the match, Morgan Rogers opened the scoring five minutes into the second half with a solo effort, while Cole Palmer doubled the lead from the penalty spot after Lisandro Martinez was dismissed for a second yellow card following a VAR intervention. The second a full-length stop, and the ovation still came, senne Lammens also denied him twice late on. Carrying the ball from midfield, going past Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez and clipping a finish over Lammens, morgan Rogers broke the deadlock five minutes after the restart.
Reflecting on the teenager’s display to TNT Sports and during his post-match press conference, Alonso emphasized his happiness for the player. The manager had faced scrutiny throughout the week regarding his team selection, including the decision to keep Estevao on the bench during the recent Carabao Cup exit at Anfield. Alonso also noted that he had been closely managing the young attacker’s integration into the side.
The win moves Chelsea into fourth place with 16 points from nine matches, drawing them level with third-placed Brighton. This result provides a vital recovery for the Blues, ending a poor run that included a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham and their elimination from the Carabao Cup. While Chelsea has produced 19 goals in nine league games, they have also leaked 15, highlighting a recurring struggle with consistency that saw earlier high-scoring wins against Bournemouth and Everton followed by sudden setbacks. Consistency has been the issue: the 5-1 win over Bournemouth and the 2-0 at Everton were followed by the Tottenham setback.
With no European fixtures on the schedule and their cup campaigns concluded until January, Alonso’s squad will focus entirely on maintaining rhythm in the league. Their upcoming domestic schedule includes a trip to Sunderland on November 8, followed by a home clash with Leeds on November 21. Further matches see them travel to face Nottingham Forest on November 27, host Crystal Palace on December 2, and finally welcome Liverpool to Stamford Bridge on December 5.
