Chelsea captain Reece James believes the Blues’ dramatic 2-1 win over reigning champions Liverpool can act as the turning point in their season, praising the energy, intent, and resilience his side displayed at Stamford Bridge, Softfootball reports.
The clash was decided late into stoppage time by teenage superstar Estevao Willian, who struck late to secure all three points after Moses Caicdo wonderstrike opener had been cancelled out by Cody gakpo just past the hour mark. For James, the performance reflected a team determined to prove themselves against one of the Premier League’s toughest opponents.
Speaking to the chelsea media after the game via the team’s official website, the chelsea captain had alot of praise for his fellowmates, James said;
It was a great game, We started well and continued like that throughout. When they got the equaliser we weren’t down, we came back fighting and managed to get a goal late on.
There’s always extra fire when we’re playing against one of the bigger teams. From minute one the stadium and the team were fired up. We’re hungry to win. We felt the game was there for us. We showed fight and energy to get the winner. There was no holding back.
James also revealed how he was unexpectedly asked to step into an unfamiliar role when Benoît Badiashile had to be withdrawn during the second half. The skipper moved into central defence and delivered a composed display against Liverpool’s dangerous front line he said;
I didn’t expect to play centre-back, it’s one of the positions I’ve never played before! It’s high-level football, I had to adapt and play the best football I could. At the moment I’m close to my best.
The England international highlighted the impact of Chelsea’s substitutes, with Estevao the 18-year-old who has already made headlines since arriving from Palmeiras coming off the bench to deliver the decisive blow in stoppage time, he stated;
We need to keep on building throughout the season. Red cards have played a part in recent results, and we’re in a difficult moment with the amount of players we have out. That’s football and we have to adapt and play the best we can with what we have. We did that.
It’s a big step in the right direction. We’ve beaten the champions. It was a big statement and hopefully we can build on this now.
After the game, Chelsea via its official X handle, shared a pitchside video of the youngster Estevao scoring the winner late into stoppage time which had the whole stadium bouncing and rocking, watch the video below;
The win moves Chelsea closer to the league’s top spot and provides a much-needed confidence boost after a run of inconsistent results in the premier league. With confidence growing and key players like James nearing full fitness, the Blues will now be hoping to use this victory as a steppin stone for the rest of the season.
Estevao, in particular, continues to be in the spotlight,with his fellow Brazilian and teammate Joao Pedro liking the youngster to become like Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior, a sign of just how highly he is already regarded within the Chelsea dressing room.
