Chelsea winger Willian continues to have a great start to the season, making a beautiful assist for one of the Blues’ goals in the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.
The Brazilian has scored three goals in the Premier League so far. That means that we’re still in November and he’s already matched his scoring record from last season.
That improvement has a lot to do with the work from Frank Lampard, who’s given Willian more of a free role, according to the player himself.
The 31-year-old has been interviewed by ESPN Brasil, and speaking of his performance against Crystal Palace, he said the team has been ‘understanding’ what the manager wants for the season.
“In fact, I think we understood the message Lampard has been giving us. What he gives to us in training. And we are putting it into practice in games,” Willian told ESPN Brasil.
“We can’t rest, thinking that we are doing a great job. We have to keep evolving. Many didn’t believe in us, right? Of what we could do. We’re doing a great job. We have to continue in the same way to know that we have not won anything yet, keep our feet on the ground and keep working.”
Speaking of his personal improvement, Willian claims that there’s been a big change in the orders he’s been receiving since the change of managers in the summer.
“Lampard has been giving me complete confidence, always talking to me. Since the beginning of the season he said he wanted to see me happy, to see me smiling, to see me playing the way I can play and giving me the freedom to move around doing what I wanted. Unlike last season, when the game system was a little different, when I didn’t have so much freedom to keep moving.
“And this season is being different, I think this freedom I’m having makes my football appear more and more. This has been happening, so I’m very happy to be able to add to the team in this way, playing in this way that we have positive results.”
