Former Chelsea and Arsenal player Willian spoke to ESPN Brazil about the rivalry between his two former clubs, young players like Joao Felix and Estevao, and topics such as Bruno Guimaraes.

I'd like to ask you, are you truly aware of how intense the rivalry is between Chelsea and Arsenal after playing for both? How was that experience for you?

I was already aware of the rivalry between the two clubs. Since I played for Chelsea, every time we faced Arsenal, I knew the competition between them was very intense. Then I left Chelsea to join Arsenal. Usually, elsewhere in the world, if this happens, you're often hated by fans of the club you left. For me, that club was Chelsea.

However, my situation was different. Even though I left Chelsea, I maintained a very good relationship with the club when I departed. Then, when I faced Chelsea again, I received a very warm welcome from Chelsea fans. But we all know that the rivalry between these two clubs is indeed very fierce.

You experienced different phases at Chelsea working with various managers, and then at Arsenal you worked with another. Since you left the Premier League, in your view what has changed the most in the Premier League? Is it the managers, the technical level of players, the style of play? How do you see the changes in the Premier League over the years?

For me, the biggest change in the Premier League is the increased emphasis on young players nowadays. During my playing years, a team was more of a mix of experienced and young players. You rarely see that situation in the Premier League now. You'll find that they now place great importance on young players, with some teams having 90%, 95%, or even 100% young players in their squads.

So for me, this has changed a lot. However, the intensity of play has remained the same, as has the speed of the game. These aspects haven't changed for me.

You just spoke about young players. Joao Felix is now Chelsea's new number 9 striker. How do you see his development in the Premier League? Also, what do you think about his potential prospects with the Brazil national team in the future? Do you think he deserved a chance in the last World Cup? And how do you feel about such a young player shouldering such a big responsibility?

Joao Felix has the ability and potential to carry this responsibility. He's a very talented player who has performed very well since last season, and he can continue to develop. So there's no doubt that in this position, Chelsea can be confident they have a very suitable player.

As for the Brazil national team, I'm confident he will certainly get another chance. In this way, he'll essentially be one of the very strong candidates for the next World Cup.

Next, let's talk about Arsenal. Bruno Guimaraes just joined the team, which is a very important transfer and a major deal in the transfer market. In your view, what can he bring to Arsenal? He just arrived at the club and has already won the championship. Can you speak about his current stage?

Bruno is an exceptional player. He's performed very well since his time at Newcastle United. Back then, he was the core of the team's midfield, the player who controlled the midfield. Now that he's come to Arsenal, he will definitely strengthen the team further. Arsenal itself is a very good team with many talented players.

So I have no doubt that he'll continue doing what he did at Newcastle United. And I think he could even do better after arriving at Arsenal.

If you compare these two teams now, which one do you think has a better chance of consolidating its position and becoming a major force in the Premier League?

Based on what we're seeing now, because Arsenal won the championship last season, Arsenal is probably a few steps ahead of Chelsea. However, as a Chelsea fan, I certainly hope Chelsea can consolidate its position and start winning again, winning the championship. That's what we as fans of this club want to see. We hope Chelsea can win the Premier League title again—that's what Chelsea fans expect.

And a derby like this will be played early in the season, right?

Of course. A match like this will give the team a lot of confidence, especially since it's at Arsenal's home. If Chelsea can win there, then there's no doubt that this will give the team a lot of confidence for the rest of the season.

Many consider you the most successful Brazilian player in Chelsea's history. Now Estevao's development is also very impressive, but he was previously injured and missed the World Cup because of it. This also relates to the emphasis on young players we just discussed, and he's another young player in Chelsea's squad. Can you analyze his current role at Chelsea? Also, what can we expect from Estevao's future?

Estevao is a very special player. He's extremely talented and also someone who could become a key figure in the team. It's unfortunate that his previous injury ultimately caused him to miss the World Cup. However, he's undoubtedly a very impressive player and plays an important role in Chelsea's team.

I believe he's fully capable of becoming a core figure in the team and can step up and take responsibility when needed. Of course, he's still a very young player, but he's fully capable of continuing to develop. I believe he still has the potential to grow further. So I certainly hope he continues to perform well and remains an important figure in the team.

When you played for Arsenal, you also experienced leaving the Premier League and returning to play in Brazil. In your opinion, is leaving the Premier League and returning to play in Brazil the right choice or a risky decision?

That's a difficult question to answer because it's a personal decision. I've experienced this myself, and then I even returned to England. I stayed in Brazil for less than a year, and then I came back. So based on my own experience, if it were me, I would choose to stay and not leave. I would try to find other options and continue playing there.

When you first joined Arsenal, Arteta played a big role, and at that time, his managerial career was just beginning. Could you see signs back then that he would be capable of leading Arsenal to end their trophy drought in the future?

From the moment we first started working together, Arteta always showed his unique tactical side. He would work extensively on team tactics and make adjustments across different areas of the field to keep the team balanced.

So even then, we could see that with his characteristics and his way of working, he would certainly be capable of leading Arsenal to major achievements. Therefore, when we first started working together, I already felt that he had the potential to lead Arsenal to win championships.

If you could enter the dressing room before today's match, before an Arsenal vs. Chelsea game, and give advice to the players based on your Premier League experience, what would you say?

To which team?

Both teams.

Both teams?

Yes. You have five minutes in Arsenal's dressing room and five minutes in Chelsea's dressing room. Imagine you're the manager.

That's difficult. I think the advice I'd give them is to enjoy the moment, enjoy the game. Because we all know that time won't come back, and this match won't happen again. So try to enjoy this game as much as possible.

This is a derby that every player wants to participate in; a match like this is different from usual ones. So try to do your best and also try to enjoy the game as much as possible, because matches like this are very special. I think that's what I'd tell them.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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