Enzo Maresca can stun Thomas Frank by unleashing ‘special’ Chelsea player vs Tottenham
Chelsea face Tottenham this weekend in what promises to be an exciting Premier League showdown.
Enzo Maresca’s men are fresh from reaching the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after Chelsea beat Wolves 4-3 in a thrilling contest at Molineux.
But a return to Premier League action must yield a positive result for Maresca, as Chelsea lost 2-1 against Sunderland last time out to drop into ninth position.
Luckily, the Blues have won nine of their last 11 meetings against Spurs, including four successive top-flight victories.
However, to extend their winning run in this derby clash, Maresca must unleash a player who is banging down his door for a start.
Enzo Maresca should start Estevao vs Tottenham
Chelsea’s star-studded squad has competition across the pitch but notably in the wide areas, where Alejandro Garnacho, Pedro Neto, Tyrique George, Jamie Gittens and Estevao are competing for a spot.
While Gittens impressed against Wolves, scoring an incredible volley, Estevao’s deft lob over Jose Sa showcased his composure in the final third.
The 18-year-old is pushing for a start at Spurs this weekend, and Maresca should arguably select him on the right flank.
Estevao, who scored the winner against Liverpool, is someone who can thrive in the big game moments and is more of a goal threat than Neto.
| Stat per 90 past year | Estevao | Pedro Neto |
| Non-penalty goals | 0.31 | 0.20 |
| Shots total | 2.67 | 2.15 |
| Progressive carries | 6.03 | 4.8 |
| Successful take-ons | 2.99 | 1.36 |
| Shot-creating actions | 5.45 | 3.35 |
The fleet-footed Brazilian smashes his counterpart across an array of attacking metrics, including non-penalty goals, progressive carries and successful take-ons, evincing why he’s better suited to beating the defensively solid Djed Spence.
Also, starting Estevao on the right doesn’t mean dropping the in-form Neto completely, as he could switch over to the left flank and replace Garnacho.
What Enzo Maresca has said about Estevao
Estevao has started on the bench in four of Chelsea’s last five Premier League games, and being named in the XI to face Wolves arguably suggests he’ll remain on the bench.
But the Blues’ defeat to Sunderland proved how much they needed his dribbling, speed and trickery in transition, something he can provide against Spurs.
Speaking after Chelsea hammered Ajax in the Champions League, Maresca praised Estevao as ‘special’ after scoring a penalty.
“With young players, most of the time you can be a little bit worried because if they play one or two games well and they score, they think that they are already top players,” the Italian said.
“The good thing about Estevao is that we don’t need to be worried about that. He’s very humble, he’s very polite, he wants to work hard. He also has a fantastic family; they are very close to him.
“For me, personally, he’s fantastic because he’s a special player, but you don’t have to be worried.”
Estevao has the whole of the footballing world at his feet, and if anyone can produce a moment of magic, it’s him.