SOCCER: Chelsea boss Rosenior praises 'special talent' Estevao after win over Palace

Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior praised 18-year-old Estevao after the young forward delivered a standout performance in Sunday’s 3-1 Premier League victory at Crystal Palace.

Estevao scored his first goal since November in the 34th minute, sprinting from his own half to intercept a back pass from Jaydee Canvot. The Brazilian then assisted Joao Pedro’s goal early in the second half, helping Chelsea build a strong lead.

“He's a player with special abilities, special talent,” Rosenior said of Estevao.

Rosenior also praised the team’s overall performance, especially their defensive shape. “What makes me so happy is all 11 men are back behind the ball. That's why he gets the space... I thought it was a top team performance away from home.”

The win marked Chelsea’s third straight victory across all competitions. Enzo Fernandez sealed the result by converting a penalty in the 64th minute.

However, Rosenior warned that the defense still needs improvement. Palace reduced the deficit late in the match after Chris Richards scored while Palace were down to 10 men.

“It’s a game of mistakes. It's going to take time... our understanding of the build will improve with repetition,” Rosenior said. “But like I say, we want to improve, and we want to win now. That has to be the focus on Wednesday.”

Chelsea have now won four of their five matches under Rosenior, and the visiting fans showed their appreciation by singing the new manager’s name after the win.

Rosenior acknowledged he must earn the fans’ respect and emphasized that the team’s focus remains on upcoming challenges, especially Wednesday’s trip to Napoli and the fight to secure a top-eight finish in the Champions League for direct qualification to the Round of 16.

“This team played great football before me... it's not about it being my team, a Liam Rosenior team. It's about being a winning team, and I was really, really happy with the performance today,” he added. -Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis/Reuters