Chelsea’s 3-0 Champions League demolition of Barcelona has left fans buzzing about Estevao Willian, but even Thierry Henry has voiced concerns about the 18-year-old’s future development, as reported by TEAMtalk, on Wednesday November 26, 2025.
The Brazilian impressed once again at Stamford Bridge, netting a brilliant second-half goal to secure victory after Jules Kounde’s own goal had put Chelsea ahead.
Liam Delap also made an impact off the bench, scoring his first Champions League goal in a match that saw Enzo Maresca rotate his squad and keep Joao Pedro and Delap out of the starting XI.
Henry, no stranger to attacking brilliance, was full of praise for Estevao’s dribbling and directness, but warned that such natural ability could be at risk under coaching.
“You wouldn’t like to play against him, he’s coming at you all the time. He’s reminding me, it’s early doors, that’s why I think Ryan Giggs was one of the best, because he’s coming at you all game,” the Frenchman told CBS Sports.
“Coaches at times are scared of transition, playing against a low block. The first quality of the kid is to dribble. Why are you going to take that away? How is he going to work? Let him cook, let him play. We need to enjoy these kinds of players and types of games.”
Despite his Champions League exploits, Estevao has only made three Premier League starts so far, with Maresca keen to protect the young forward from burnout.
Gianfranco Zola echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that Estevao still has plenty to learn:
“The more he plays, the more physically, he will be stronger. And he will read the game better. All those things come with experience, and I think that he is promising to become a very, very important player.”
