Brazilian forward Estevao, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Palmeiras last summer, has seen his progression stall significantly. The 19-year-old has been restricted to just two starts in all competitions throughout the current season, marking a sharp decline in prominence compared to his arrival.
Just a year ago, the attacker was the talk of the Premier League. Last October, he made headlines by scoring a dramatic winning goal against the defending champions in the final seconds of the match. However, fast forward 12 months, and Estevao is facing scrutiny for the wrong reasons as he struggles to break into manager Xabi Alonso’s regular lineup.
His absence was notable during Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup fixture at Anfield, where Chelsea were eliminated following a penalty shootout against Liverpool. Although Morgan Rogers gave Chelsea an early lead, the team could not maintain their advantage after Cody Gakpo equalized for the hosts.
The most telling sign of Estevao’s current standing arrived in the second half. As the match remained deadlocked, Alonso looked to his bench in a bid to secure a result, executing a triple substitution. The clearest indication of just how low Estevao sits in Alonso’s pecking order came midway through the second half, when Alonso made a triple substitution in an attempt to turn the game in his side’s favour.
Even new arrival Emanuel Emegha, who had not featured for the club since his summer transfer from Strasbourg, was preferred over the Brazilian. Shortly after these tactical changes were made—marking the fifth substitution for Chelsea—Estevao was captured on camera concluding his warm-up session and returning to the bench, serving as another match day without playing time.
