Estevao Willian shone and scored the decisive goal in the 90+5th minute, helping Chelsea defeat Liverpool 2-1 in the most dramatic match of the Premier League’s seventh round on the evening of October 4th.
Liverpool, once renowned for scoring late goals, have now fallen victim to them. In just over a week, Arne Slot’s side have lost three consecutive matches, two of which came from injury-time goals.
At Stamford Bridge, Cody Gakpo’s equalizer, after Caicedo had opened the scoring, seemed to have restored Liverpool’s grip on the match. However, the brilliant performance of Estevao, a 17-year-old Brazilian, changed everything. Entering the field in the 75th minute, he sparked a frenzy, tearing apart the Liverpool defense with pace, technique, and audacity rarely seen in a teenager.
In the 90+5 minute, Estevao powered in a cross from Marc Cucurella, slotting past Giorgi Mamardashvili and sealing a resounding victory for Chelsea. It was also his first Premier League goal and instantly became the Blues’ most valuable goal of the season.
Stamford Bridge erupted. Manager Enzo Maresca ran along the touchline in excitement, hugging his players, and was sent off for excessive celebration. Chelsea fans called it the “sweetest red card” of his career.
The defeat left Liverpool with just 15 points, dropping to the top of the table, while Arsenal (16 points) moved up to first place. Meanwhile, this sweet victory helped Chelsea climb to sixth place with 11 points, just five points behind leaders Arsenal. It was a less-than-ideal, but promising, start for Maresca’s young team.