Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca heaps praise on Estevao as Brazilian wonderkid justifies £104m valuation in victory over Wolves

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Chelsea moved to second in the Premier League with a 3-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers that was only made comfortable following the introduction of substitute Estevao. Enzo Maresca hailed the Brazilian teenager's continued influence and believes his talent can drive him to become a more regular starter. The Blues next travel to Burnley on November 22, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Chelsea head coach Maresca defends squad rotation policy, says times are 'different now'

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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca praised teenager Estevao after the Brazilian winger came off the bench to inspire a 3–0 Premier League win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Right-back Malo Gusto opened the scoring with a header six minutes after the restart, but the result remained in the balance until Estevao’s introduction just past the hour mark.

The FIFA Club World Cup champions only signed the 18-year-old from Palmeiras for a reported £29 million, yet the winger already looks like a bargain.

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Having mostly been limited to substitute appearances so far this season, Estevao made an instant impact in his latest showing off the bench.

Within a minute of coming on, he created Chelsea’s crucial second goal, setting up fellow Brazilian Joao Pedro to double the lead.

Chelsea had been booed off at half-time having failed to find the breakthrough, in stark contrast to the joyous scenes at the final whistle.

Speaking after the match, Maresca admitted his pre-game nerves but believed Estevao's energy transformed the contest.

Estevao raises Chelsea energy says Maresca – ‘Everyone loves this kind of player’

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"I was very worried before this game," he told reporters in his post-match press conference. "These are the worst games; they're tricky. Everyone is thinking it's going to be easy.

"I can understand in the first half people were not happy because we didn't score. Then, when Estevao came on the energy raised because people love that kind of player.

"You can see his talent. We are trying to help him adapt and give him the right minutes. He arrived from Brazil; he needs time to adapt, but he's going to start games for us in the future."

Estevao’s burgeoning reputation continues to grow. According to the CIES Football Observatory, which estimates transfer values through a statistical model, the teenager is now valued at £104 million - a figure Maresca believes is justified.

"You can see that, absolutely," the Blues boss added. "He is top. For this club in the next five, 10 years, he will be a top, top, top player."

The CIES Football Observatory value Estevao at £104m

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Maresca also took the opportunity to single out Alejandro Garnacho for praise. The Argentinian winger, who joined from Manchester United for a reported £40m last August, delivered two assists and impressed with his work-rate.

"He arrived from a club where he was not training 100% so his physical condition was not good," Maresca said.

"Slowly, now he is better. He knows that to play with us, he needs to be good on the ball and off the ball; otherwise, he's not going to play. We are very happy with him."

The victory moved Chelsea up to second place in the Premier League table - a point clear of Manchester City ahead of their clash with Liverpool on Sunday.

After the international break, The Blues travel to Burnley on November 22, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Wolves interim boss James Collins admitted that Estevao's introduction shifted the game decisively, forcing his side to chase the match after Gusto’s opener.

Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho celebrate Chelsea's win

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"I felt that the shackles came off a bit as the boys thought we were behind," Collins said.

"But we didn’t quite hold our structure, and we created some moments, we got on top a bit, and that was our foothold in the game.

"But I always knew the back door was open at the other end. They counter-attacked brilliantly.

"When you come to a place like this, you have to keep it tight. I think they've scored in 25 out of the last 26 games.

"The spirit in the dressing room, I've seen this week. There's 27 games left, plenty of football. Our season won't be decided on Chelsea away.

"The players have shown drive and determination. If we can add a bit of quality, who knows?"

Watch and stream the Premier League, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+

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