Enzo Maresca claims he has a wonderkid who can do exactly what Eden Hazard did at Chelsea

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Chelsea may have suffered another defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion last time out, but one player was able to stand out on a difficult afternoon.

The Blues were reduced to 10 men for the second week in a row and lost 3-1 at Stamford Bridge, with the visitors capitalising ruthlessly on their man advantage in the second half.

Danny Welbeck levelled the scores and Maxim De Cuyper completed the turnaround with a stoppage-time header, before Welbeck then notched his brace with 100 minutes on the clock.

Enzo Maresca’s side will look to quickly dust themselves off ahead of the visit of Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday, and could lean on a wonderkid who is making headlines.

Estevao can play all across Chelsea’s frontline

Ahead of the game, teenage sensation Estevao was singled out for special praise.

The 18-year-old has lit up the Premier League after joining from Brazilian side Palmeiras in the summer, and he was his side’s brightest player against Brighton.

Asked to assess his red-hot start to life at Chelsea, Maresca couldn’t speak highly enough of him. He also claimed he is good enough to play all across the frontline.

“He’s doing very well. It’s not easy for a 17- or 18-year-old to arrive in Europe at a big club like Chelsea and immediately show the quality he has,” the Blues boss said.

“We’re very happy with him. He’s a very good boy and brings the energy we need. For sure, in my opinion, he can play in all five attacking positions.”

High praise, indeed. Already, it appears he is being trusted to make an impact across the entire width of the pitch, something one of the club’s greatest ever players was renowned for.

However, Jason Cundy believes Estevao was promised more opportunities in the No 10 role after joining.

Eden Hazard was a jack of all trades for Chelsea

During his time at Chelsea, Eden Hazard made an impact on both flanks and was also comfortable operating as a lone striker, despite it not being his natural position.

He predominantly played on the left-hand side, but according to data from Transfermarkt, he also filled in on the right, as well as in multiple roles just off the frontman.

The winger became a hero after making 352 appearances between 2012 and 2019, scoring 110 goals.

If Estevao can come close to repeating Hazard’s heroics, he will be another to go down in the history books as one of the best to pull on the hallowed blue jersey.