The chief complaint many Chelsea FC fans had about Willian before this season was that he simply did not score enough goals. The Brazilian was industrious in his work rate, tracked back with all his heart, created goals for others, but just did not score enough goals to justify his hefty price tag.
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When Chelsea FC brought in the winger from Anzhi Makhachkala for £30 million, right under the noses of Tottenham Hotspur who bought his flight – and you know the rest, they thought they were getting a dynamic playmaker who could also score goals. He never reached double-digit goals in any of his season with Shakhtar Donetsk or Anzhi but had come close on six occasions.
He had seasons of eight, seven, and six goals but has yet to top four in a full season for the Blues. This season things have changed dramatically as he has already scored four goals for the Blues and added another two for Brazil in World Cup qualifying.
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Willian has singlehandedly kept Chelsea FC in some games with his incredible free kicks and scored all four of his goals from similar positions on the field. He scored from dead ball situations in four straight games and has been one of the few bright spots in the Blues’ season. He started the comeback against Newcastle United and gave Chelsea the perfect start against Southampton that they would go on to squander.
In a Brazil shirt this week he showed that he can also score goals from open play, something Chelsea has also struggled to do this year. He opened the scoring after 40 seconds after Venezuela and doubled his tally just before halftime to give Brazil a two-goal lead that they would not relinquish at the final whistle. With Neymar missing yet another match through suspension the winger stepped up in his absence to lead Brazil to victory.
He has also had to pick up the slack of a far more high-profile club teammate in Eden Hazard. The young Belgian has yet to score for the Blues this season though had a deflected strike against Arsenal credited to the defender. Hazard has been the target of much ire and has disappointed after a stellar campaign in which he earned the PFA Player of the Year award for helping lead Chelsea FC to the Premier League title.
The great irony in all of this is that Chelsea brought in Pedro from Barcelona to offer a goalscoring threat opposite the Belgian but it has been Willian who has provided the goals. Perhaps it is time for Pedro to try his luck in Hazard’s place on the left wing because Willian just cannot stop scoring and has responded incredibly well to having his place in the starting XI threatened.
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