Chelsea returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Manchester United on Saturday afternoon, with two of the club’s exciting young talents stealing the headlines at Stamford Bridge.
It had been a difficult week for Xabi Alonso’s side, who suffered a rare Premier League defeat against Tottenham before being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Liverpool in midweek.
The Blues endured another frustrating opening 45 minutes against United, but produced a much-improved second-half display to secure three valuable points.
Morgan Rogers broke the deadlock five minutes after the restart, driving through the United defence before lifting the ball over Senne Lammens.
Cole Palmer doubled Chelsea’s advantage from the penalty spot after Lisandro Martinez was dismissed for a second bookable offence following a foul on Wesley Fofana.
The victory moved Chelsea up to fourth in the Premier League, although Alonso insisted there is still plenty of room for improvement.
“I am very demanding. We can do better. We are taking a step forward but I don’t know how far we are.
“My expectations are really HIGH. I am sure for the last three months of the season we will be much better.”
One player who certainly impressed was Estevao Willian, with the Brazilian finally handed his first Premier League start of the season following growing calls for Alonso to give him more opportunities.
The 19-year-old was arguably Chelsea’s standout performer, causing constant problems for United’s defence and twice having goals disallowed for offside.
Estevao also forced Lammens into several saves, demonstrating why supporters have been so eager to see him feature more regularly.
Alonso was full of praise for the youngster after the final whistle, suggesting his performance had strengthened his case for further opportunities.
“I am very happy with Estevão! This was the the best response to show that he deserves more. He worked so hard, I’m happy,” the Chelsea boss said.
However, the Brazil starlet was not the only Chelsea youngster to catch the eye against United, with another emerging talent earning glowing praise from former Blues midfielder Joe Cole.
Joe Cole reveals what Chelsea have told him about Mike Penders
Goalkeeper Mike Penders produced another encouraging performance between the sticks, keeping a clean sheet while making three important saves.
The 21-year-old Belgian was handed an opportunity in Alonso’s side following an injury to first-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, and has bounced back well after his mistake gifted Tottenham the opening goal last week.
And he may just have produced the highlight of the match on Saturday, when Bryan Mbeumo unleashed a powerful effort from outside the penalty area, only for the young ‘keeper to make an outstanding fingertip save to divert the ball onto the crossbar.
Ally McCoist and Joe Cole were left stunned by the slight touch from Chelsea’s shot-stopper, as Cole revealed that people at Chelsea have already spoken to him about the goalkeeper’s enormous potential.
“They tell me this kid’s a talent, he’s so good we can’t even see it!”
Chelsea have faced plenty of criticism in recent years for their strategy of recruiting young players in large numbers, with questions raised over whether such an approach can deliver immediate success.
However, the performances of Estevao and Penders against Manchester United suggest the Blues may already have two potential stars of the future on their hands.
With both youngsters showing their quality on the big stage, Alonso has further reason to be optimistic about the long-term prospects of his Chelsea side.
