Liam Rosenior will hope to build on the win over Port Vale when Chelsea take on Manchester City next weekend.
Estevao Willian should be one of the first names on the teamsheet when Chelsea face Manchester City. Liam Rosenior will lock horns with Pep Guardiola at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, April 12, as the Blues hope to climb the Premier League.
The west Londoners slumped to sixth in the table just before the international break following a disappointing defeat to Everton. The Toffees piled on the misery at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, exacting Chelsea’s fourth successive defeat across all competitions and the third in their last five in the English top-flight.
Although Liverpool are only a stone’s throw away in fifth, Brentford and Everton have closed the gap in the race for European football, leaving little margin for error during the run-in. Fortunately for the Blues in some respects, the Bees and the Toffees are set to go head-to-head next weekend.
While Chelsea could remain in the top six even if they lose to Manchester City, Rosenior will hope to build on Saturday night’s FA Cup win over Port Vale. Estevao fired west Londoners to victory against the League One outfit at Stamford Bridge to seal a place in the semi-finals.
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The 18-year-old winger made an excellent impression upon his long-awaited return to the starting lineup, leading by example with and without the ball. Estevao was heavily involved in almost every Chelsea attack, lifting fans from their seats whenever he received the ball.
Aside from the goal and assist, he played four key passes and created three big chances. The Brazil international also got his hands dirty, winning five duels and recovering possession on five occasions.
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Estevao proved exactly why he should start when the Blues face Manchester City next weekend. If he hasn’t already, the Brazilian will have struck fear into Guardiola with his man of the match performance.
Rosenior was delighted with his side’s performance following a difficult period on and off the pitch. Speaking to reporters on Saturday night, the Chelsea boss said: “I was very happy with the application and the intensity levels of the team.
“I think it [the victory] stems from that. Obviously, we’ve got outstanding players and some of the goals we scored – and also our play – was very good. But when you watch the application of the group in the first half, the way we chased, the way we tackled, that’s what gave us the basis to go on and win the game.”
Estevao was one of the few Chelsea players that remained at Cobham training ground over the international break, working closely with Rosenior. The Blues boss continued: “I think it’s been a really important, the international break, in terms of myself and the staff and the club.
“Obviously, the players went away and when you go through a difficult moment, as we did in that ten-day period, you want to come out of it, analyse it, and come back stronger – and you know that you want to fix it.
“I’ve got a group of players who still believe, as I do, we can have an outstanding season, both in terms of winning an FA Cup and qualifying for Champions League.”
