'He's going to be special' - the moment Estevao arrived

This was the moment Estevao Willian arrived in English football.

More than 16 months since a deal was agreed to bring the teenager to Stamford Bridge from Palmeiras, Estevao sent Chelsea fans into delirium by scoring a 95th-minute winner to clinch a 2-1 victory over Premier League champions Liverpool.

The goal sparked such emotion that Blues manager Enzo Maresca was sent off for running 50 yards to celebrate with his players.

"For an 18-year-old, he's a special talent and could develop into a really top player," said ex-England forward Wayne Rooney, who is a pundit on Saturday's Match of the Day.

"I think he's the kind of winger who the Chelsea fans will be very excited to see play each week."

Despite losing two more central defenders to injury on Saturday and missing star attacker Cole Palmer, Chelsea found a way to win - with Estevao delivering the decisive moment.

The goal itself was relatively straightforward, with the Brazilian sliding in at the back post to tap in Marc Cucurella's low cross.

But it came after Estevao - who was brought off the bench in the 75th minute - had already tested Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, completed four dribbles and created two chances for team-mates, including a cross that was headed against the post by Enzo Fernandez in the 91st minute.

Signs of Estevao's quality were evident in previous matches, with his array of nutmegs, flicks and other eye-catching moments drawing gasps from the crowd.

Yet, a first goal in a competitive match had eluded him - until now.

'Everyone wants to give him the ball'

In Brazil, Estevao had already emerged as a star player for one of the country's biggest clubs, and earned seven caps for the national team which is now led by legendary former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti.

It has, understandably, taken slightly longer for him to settle in England having arrived after the conclusion of this summer's Club World Cup.

"We know that a young player can suffer when he moves from another country to settle down here and to play for this club," said Chelsea assistant coach Willy Caballero, in the absence of Maresca after his red card.

"So the players, first of all, are doing a great job to involve all the new players. And when we have the chance, we work.

"I can speak with him most of the time in Spanish because he understands. And he's a really good kid. And we are so happy for him because he needs it, we need it, and he needs a goal as well."

Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin believes Estevao is "going to be special".

"Every time any Chelsea player gets the ball, they try to find Estevao," said Nevin on BBC Radio 5 Live. "That tells you a story about a player.

"He's an 18-year-old but everyone wants to give him the ball. That just shows what he's capable of and what he's doing in training. He's going to be special."

Why is so much expected from Estevao?

Senior officials at Chelsea have been expressing excitement about Estevao's arrival since they agreed his signature more than a year before his eventual move to England.

Fittingly, Estevao scored a brilliant goal from a tight angle against Chelsea in a losing cause on his final appearance for Palmeiras this summer.

He left the Sao Paulo-based club with 27 goals and 15 assists in 83 games.

After that match, he was seen mingling with his future team-mates, including England playmaker Palmer, in what appeared to be a moment of respect between peers.

That game was perhaps an English audience's first glimpse of Estevao, but Brazilian football experts have long tipped him for the top.

He was the first player under 18 to have 20 goal involvements in a single season in Brazil's Serie A (12 goals and eight assists), breaking a record set by Neymar.

In the Club World Cup, he won 'superior player of the match' twice and, perhaps fittingly, impressed against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, having earned the nickname Messinho - 'Little Messi' - in Brazil.

It felt like a coup from Chelsea to beat some of Europe's leading clubs, including Paris St-Germain, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, to Estevao's signature.

He chose Chelsea due to his belief in their vision and the promise of a significant role in his first season, with his sights set on playing for Brazil at the 2026 World Cup.

Estevao consulted former Chelsea defender Thiago Silva before choosing Chelsea in 2024.

The Blues had planned to ease him in slowly, but Palmer's injury and Estevao's brilliance have led him to feature in every match - except the draw with Brentford which he missed because of illness.

Palmer hopes to return from a recurring groin problem after the international break.

But even in the star attacker's absence, Estevao appears ready to deliver more big moments for Chelsea.