Ask any Chelsea supporter if Estevao Willian kept his place when the Blues traveled to the Stadium of Light at the weekend. Most will probably tell you, “Yes, of course.”
Reporters will ask Xabi Alonso a similar question at this week’s pre-match press conference. The Chelsea manager, however, will not be so blunt in his response. On the contrary, he will be more cautious and secretive with what he says.
Alonso will consider his options over the next few days after impressing in the Estevao Blues’ 2-0 win over Manchester United on Saturday afternoon.
After such a display, it is safe to assume that the 19-year-old winger will be involved from the start at Sunderland on Sunday. However, Alonso often talks about taking each game in context. A trip to the Stadium of Light has all kinds of context.
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As Chelsea found out on the final day of last season, it’s usually a raucous atmosphere at home to Sunderland, especially when a big team comes to town. Even with the Black Cats bottom of the Premier League table at the weekend, the home fans are likely to make themselves heard.
This is something to consider. Another is Sunderland’s fitness. Regis Le Brice’s players love a duel – only Nottingham Forest (474), Manchester City (480), Brentford (481), Leeds United (492) and Tottenham (499) have won more duels than Sunderland (468). “Chelsea” is ranked next in the list with 464 points.
It has all the earmarks of being a physical, scrappy game on Wearside. With Alonso not using Estevao as much as the Brazilian would have liked, the Chelsea manager – speaking after last week’s defeat to Liverpool – cited the physical aspect of the Premier League as one of the reasons why he has been consistently left out of the starting XI.
Alonso said: “Yes, we know that the Premier League and the game in England is really intense. You have to be prepared for that.
“Este played, for sure it’s his second season. But he had an injury and he’s in the process. Believe me, I’m sure it will be a long season and Este will play his role.”
It will be interesting to see if Alonso takes Sunderland’s physicality and intensity into account when selecting his starting XI at the weekend. If so, then Estevao could return to the bench.
However, Alonso will want his Chelsea team to make a mark on the game and play the football they want to play. In an ideal world, this would mean as much control as possible, rather than a frenetic, tense match that Le Bris would have preferred.
In this scenario, Estevao is the perfect choice for the right side of the attack, as we saw against Manchester United on Saturday. Estevao shone for the Blues and did almost everything but score – a disappointment after two disallowed goals – at Stamford Bridge.
Alonso was pleased with how Brazil performed at the weekend, describing it as the “best response” to being left out of the squad.
Reflecting on Estevao’s performance, the Chelsea coach said: “You ask me, but sometimes I can’t give you all the information. [going into the United game]. We spoke after Tottenham and he knew he was going to play today.
“He gave the best response to show that he deserves more, that he’s ready and that’s what you want from a player, so I’m very happy for him. He deserved to enjoy his game, he connected well with the crowd.
“He was really close to scoring that goal. He really fought hard at the end, he was tired and it was a good day for him.”