After a concerning drop-off in form in September saw Chelsea lose in quick succession to Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and Brighton and Hove Albion, Enzo Maresca’s men started October off with a much-needed bang when getting the better of Liverpool 2-1 in stoppage time.
Of course, the international break then stopped them in their tracks, but the Italian will hope the winning streak can be kept up with a trip to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League up next, which is then swiftly followed by a Champions League home tie versus Ajax.
Maresca’s hero last time out against Arne Slot’s Reds was breakout sensation Estevao, who scored his first-ever top-flight goal when breaking Merseyside hearts in the 2-1 success.
The Brazilian really is the flavour of the month when it comes to Chelsea’s whole host of exciting prospects.
However, while the ex-Palmeiras wonderkid looks surely set for more first-team minutes, other youngsters in West London might be fearful that they won’t be handed the same chances moving forward in the shadow of the South American.
The Chelsea youngsters hoping to follow in Estevao's footsteps
Estevao must have sensed that he’d finally announced himself to his adoring Stamford Bridge masses when he calmly tucked away that goal at the death last time out, having been branded as “world-class” by scout Jacek Kulig before he even set foot on English soil.
While the 18-year-old continues to live up to his hype, there are several young players wondering what they must do to get game time.
One of those is Marc Guiu who has had a rather strange season to date, initially loaned out to Sunderland but recalled when Liam Delap got injured and Nicolas Jackson headed to Bayern Munich.
However, he will now be worried he’s becoming a forgotten figure at Cobham, with the Spaniard only being handed 29 minutes of Premier League action so far in 2025/26, despite powering home a lethal six strikes last campaign in the Conference League.
Likewise, summer signing Jorrel Hato will also be worried that his thunder has been stolen as a promising purchase for the future by the electric number 41, with the Dutch defender costing a bumper £38.5m to land from Ajax.
Even though he was purchased for a considerable amount, he is yet to become a regular under Maresca, with Hato unfortunately being on the receiving end of a 3-1 defeat to the Seagulls when handed just his second league start of the campaign.
Another up-and-coming talent that has slipped out of memory with Estevao’s emergence on the scene is loanee Facundo Buonanotte, who has just a 45-minute run-out to shout about in the Premier League himself.
The attacker signed on loan in the summer and was initially excluded from Chelsea’s Champions League squad, such was his value in the team.
He may well feel as though he’s already on borrowed time at the Bridge, but he’s not the only one.
Chelsea's next Hudson-Odoi is on borrowed time
Away from Estevao bursting onto the senior scene, Maresca also possesses the likes of new signings Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens down the left wing, meaning there is very little wiggle room for any more left wingers to impress.
This could mean Tyrique George has to walk away from Stamford Bridge in the near future.
Once described as a “young Hudson-Odoi” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, he was close to joining Fulham in the summer and he should have sensed then that his time in Chelsea colours was up.
Since then, it’s been a challenge for the youngster to gain many minutes.
Even with ten goal contributions next to his name in the senior fold, and an emphatic strike for England U21s also coming his way during the break, reports suggest that George is surplus to requirements in West London, due to the various mega-money options Maresca has on the 19-year-old’s trusty left flank.
After all, with Estevao’s reputation as a “future Ballon d’Or winner” already well-known, as he was wildly branded by analyst Ben Mattinson, it’s unlikely that George – no matter how promising he is in his own right – would be able to upset the apple cart and demand more minutes at his favoured teammate’s expense.
U18s
39
14 + 10
Senior
31
4 + 6
U21s
28
7 + 9
Youth League
2
0
It would be a sad severing of the ties when you consider George has been situated at Cobham since starring for the U18s but four goals in just 31 senior outings tells a story of a player struggling to reach his potential with so few games under his belt.
That said, it might well be a necessary move away to make for the London-born teenager, with Chelsea perhaps looking back on this shunning of one of their own as a foolish decision to make down the line, even with the spellbinding Estevao on their side.
