Estevao is the spark Chelsea will need in the daunting run-in ahead

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Estevao could have scored a hat-trick in Chelsea’s 7-0 win over Port Vale. He was lying in wait just behind Cole Palmer when Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel inadvertently turned the ball into his own net on the stroke of half-time. He hit both posts in the second half, and registered an assist with his inch-perfect cross for Brazilian team-mate Andrey Santos’ header to make it 5-0. He would eventually score eight minutes from the end — only for it to be initially disallowed for offside. The teenager mustered a laugh when he saw the linesman’s flag, just as he had grinned broadly in disbelief after hitting the woodwork the first time. It seemed to do little to dampen his mood — which only improved as a VAR check overruled the decision and allowed him to celebrate all over again. Chelsea need leadership and stability at the moment. But, as they enter a nasty looking run-in to the campaign where they can ill afford to slip up, they also need belief — something the Brazilian has in abundance. “We’ve missed him,” head coach Liam Rosenior told the BBC’s Match of the Day after his side’s success. “He’s been injured for pretty much six weeks in terms of his hamstring, which was a real tough one for us to take. “He comes in and just plays. He enjoys playing football and just wants to get on the ball. Wherever he is on the pitch he’s a threat, and he’s going to be a real, real plus for us going into the run-in.” Nobody in the Chelsea dressing room should, or will, be getting carried away after thrashing a team bound for relegation from League One. The upcoming Premier League clashes with Manchester City and Manchester United will be infinitely more difficult. At best, this resounding win will only temporarily quieten the noise around the future of players like Enzo Fernandez in the summer. Chelsea need deeper solutions in the long-term than any 18-year-old Brazilian can provide. But, in the short term, this run-in is where this team’s youthful exuberance, best exemplified by Estevao, needs to prove its worth and provide a spark. Chelsea will play eight games in the next seven weeks, three of them against sides in the top five of the Premier League, and another high-profile at Wembley. Their young players who have been eased into Premier League football throughout the season should see this as their opportunity to be game-changers, even if that is from the bench. Along with Estevao, Jorrel Hato and Andrey Santos have grown in importance throughout their first season at the club. Compared to his shaky early performances and high-profile errors, Hato looks far more composed and assured these days and has now stepped in both at full-back and centre-back in place of Marc Cucurella and Trevoh Chalobah. His volley to open the scoring against Port Vale after 64 seconds speaks to a growth in confidence. Santos, having struggled for consistent minutes under Enzo Maresca, is now a trusted starter. Estevao outstripped his peers in terms of immediate impact at Stamford Bridge, but even he has had to evolve. Admittedly against a much lower quality side, his intelligent runs in behind against Port Vale showed how he has adapted to English football’s physicality since, for example, his struggles in Chelsea’s 3-1 defeat to Leeds United in December. Injuries are giving these players further chances to step up. Reece James and Chalobah are said to be progressing well, but it is not clear when they will be available again. Rosenior said on Saturday that Jamie Gittens appears to have re-injured his hamstring, removing an attacking option — albeit one who has struggled for minutes this season. So the depth provided by these young players will be crucial. As will be their fearlessness. Rosenior was full of praise for his team’s intensity against Port Vale. His decision to hand Cole Palmer the armband in the absence of James and Enzo Fernandez, and his justification for doing so, showed that he understands the importance of enthusiasm and energy in the run-in. “You have different types of leadership,” Rosenior said. “You have players who talk, who organise. What Cole does and where he leads is he’s so brave and he’ll take the ball on the pitch. If he makes a mistake, he’ll take the ball and be positive again. That reflects what I want in this team.” The image of Estevao hitting the post, lowering his head to the ground, grinning and bouncing back to his feet perhaps sums that sentiment up best. That is easy to do when you are winning comfortably against League One opposition, but he has shown his resilience before. It is striking that he was the player to pull the ball from the Chelsea net and move to restart the game in the humbling 3-0 defeat against Everton. Rosenior delivered hints in his pre-match media briefing on Friday that, after this season, there might be a tweak to Chelsea’s emphasis on youth, and that may well be for the best. But for the coming weeks, if they can harness their young players’ energy and bravery — the qualities Estevao exemplifies — it could yet help push them over the line. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Cerys is a London-based writer covering Chelsea for The Athletic, as well as other London clubs and women's football. She joined The Athletic in summer 2025. Follow Cerys on Twitter @reallycerys