Chelsea fans will be annoyed with Enzo Maresca’s take on Estevao Willian

Chelsea right winger Estevao Willian has been the biggest revelation of the 2025/26 Premier League season, and there’s a strong case to be made that he has been the best winger in the league or at least in the discussion with the likes of Jack Grealish and Antoine Semenyo, who are both legitimate Player of the Season candidates.

Willian has the best expected goal contribtions per 90 in the English top flight, and he’s doing that while being a major one-on-one and progressive threat, a jack of all trades in an attacking sense.

But apparently Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca isn’t willing to make Estevao the full-time starter on the right wing yet, even though the numbers and fan sentiment are pushing in that direction, simply beacuse he thinks Pedro Neto is a better defender.

Here is Maresca’s rather antiquated take on Estevao and Neto at the Chelsea press conference before the battle with Neto’s old club Wolves:

“We know that we cannot ask the same things of Neto as Estevao. We cannot ask Estevao to [drop] off and be a full-back sometimes like Pedro is doing because he’s a different player [with] different quality, but for all of them need [to] sacrifice. It’s on the ball and it’s off the ball. It’s the two sides that he (Neto) is doing fantastic.”

Now, take nothing away from Neto, who is also one of the best Premier League right wingers in his own right and honestly gets underrated, especially since the name of the job is about more than the goals and assists.

But come on, now. Everyone can see that Estevao is special. He’s just a different level, no disrespect to Neto. Estevao can be one of the best players on this planet in just a few shot years.

I mean, would Maresca have held Eden Hazard back if he were Chelsea manager 10 years ago because he didn’t like the way the Belgian international didn’t defend like, say, Victor Moses? Bizarre take, Enzo.