- Maresca praised Estevao Willian
- Brazilian impressed on Premier League debut
- Chelsea held to a goalless draw by Palace
Estevao, who arrived at Stamford Bridge from Palmeiras this summer, garnered praise from his manager as Maresca predicted that he is going to be an “important” player for the Blues in the future. The Brazilian wonderkid was exuberant on the pitch and often troubled the Crystal Palace defence with his sudden bursts of pace down the right flank.
Speaking about the teenager’s performance, the Blues boss told Sky Sports: “The personality has been top. You can see that he is from Brazil, they are different and he is going to be a fantastic player for the club. We know about Cole [Palmer], Estevao needs time to adapt but he is going to be important for the team.”
A new-look Chelsea side largely failed to impress in their season opener as they were held to a goalless draw by Palace at home. New signings Joao Pedro and Gittens were both ineffective in their first Premier League games for the Blues, while club talisman Cole Palmer also offered little going forward.
Despite having already spent heavily in the summer transfer window to bolster their squad, Chelsea are still chasing RB Leipzig and Netherlands star Xavi Simons. It remains to be seen if the Blues can get Simons in before facing West Ham on August 22 in their next Premier League game.
