Reece James was powerless to prevent Chelsea from losing to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
James can be pleased with his effort, though, with it being his deflected cross that found Enzo Fernandez, who managed to head the ball home and put Chelsea 1-0 up.
However, two goals from Danny Welbeck and one from Maxim De Cuyper following Trevoh Chalobah’s red card condemned Enzo Maresca‘s side to a second consecutive defeat in the Premier League.
In his bid to try and help Chelsea bounce back from their loss against Manchester United last weekend, James also tried to give one of his teammates a bit of advice during the game. James made his Chelsea debut six years ago, making him the longest-serving player in the Blues’ squad.
Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty ImagesReece James’ ‘pep talk’ with Estevao Willian
While Chelsea collapsed in the end, Maresca’s men had a pretty good first half, with Estevao Willian being one of their bright sparks.
James, though, wanted Estevao to be a bit more aggressive in the second half and was spotted giving the young winger that feedback in a small “pep talk” by BBC Sport journalist Nizaar Kinsella.
Reece James giving an extensive pep talk to Estevao. Seemed to be one about being more aggressive.
— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) September 27, 2025
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However, after Chalobah’s sending off, nothing James said was going to stop Chelsea from dropping more points.
Just as they were last Saturday, the Club World Cup winners found themselves at a disadvantage against their opponents and were made to pay for it.
Jason Cundy was very critical of Chelsea following their latest defeat, describing their second half as an “absolute disaster”.
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty ImagesEstevao Willian already becoming a big name in England
Estevao has not been in England for long, but he is already starting to become quite a popular player in the country.
During Chelsea’s 2-1 win against Lincoln City during the week, Estevao was seen signing autographs for Lincoln supporters.
It has been a disappointing start to the season for Chelsea, especially considering their fixtures, but Estevao has been one of the few positives.