Reece James waxes lyrical over “amazing player” after Qarabag draw | OneFootball

Reece James hailed Estevao as “amazing” after Chelsea dropped points in a disappointing performance against Qarabag.

The Blues failed to make it three Champions League wins in a row as they were held to a 2-2 draw in Azerbaijan on Wednesday night.

Estevao gave Chelsea the lead with his second Champions League goal, but poor defending saw the Blues trail 2-1 at half time, and they couldn’t find a winner despite Alejandro Garnacho firing home an equaliser.

Reece James hails Estevao performance

Enzo Maresca once again made a number of changes, with Estevao restored to the starting line-up having been on the bench against Tottenham.

The Brazilian was one of the only bright sparks for Chelsea, and he took his goal brilliantly after a great team move involving Andrey Santos and Joao Pedro.

Estevao turned in a man of the match performance against Qarabag. (Photo by Aziz Karimov/Getty Images)

Estevao was named man of the match, but he was unable to help Chelsea find a winner, but he came out of the game with his reputation even further enhanced.

The 18-year-old has rightly been earning plaudits for his performances, and James waxed lyrical over the teenager after the game.

“Estevao is an amazing player and he has the world at his feet,” he told Chelsea’s official website.

“He’s still so young and it’s on us to keep him grounded, protect him and make sure he stays healthy.

“He’s got a lot of development sill to come but we’re super happy with his performances and to have him here with us.”

Players fail to take their opportunities

Maresca handed opportunities to a number of players who simply failed to take them, with Jorrel Hato, Tyrique George and Jamie Gittens in particular not stepping up.

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Gittens has been in good form in recent weeks, but he wasn’t at the races and was replaced at half time, with George also suffering the same fate.

Hato played the whole game at centre back, but had a torrid time and was at fault for both goals, and it could be a while until he’s seen at centre back again.