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Alan Shearer and Micah Richards have heaped praise on Moises Caicedo following Chelsea's clash against Liverpool. The 23-year-old midfielder fired the Blues to victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening with a brilliant strike from outside the box.
Caicedo broke the deadlock inside the opening quarter of an hour, finding the top left-hand corner. The Ecuador international cruised past Alexis MacAllister in the middle of the park before beating Giorgi Mamardashvili from range.
Cody Gakpo levelled proceedings on the hour mark, netting an equaliser against the run of play. Estevao Willian struck late into stoppage time to snatch three crucial points, darting ahead of Andy Robertson at the back post.
With help from Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia, who replaced Benoit Badishile shortly after half-time, Caicedo led the Club World Cup champions to victory. Speaking on the Rest Is Football podcast, Shearer and Richards reflected on the Ecuadorian's 'superb' performance.
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"Caicedo… oh my god! He was absolutely magnificent, he really was," said the Newcastle United legend. "It was the perfect midfield performance. It had everything. Superb, he was."
The former Manchester City defender said: "We knew what Caicedo was capable of. When he was at Brighton, it was only a matter of time– exceptional. He was always going to improve when you’re playing with better players.
"He stood out like a sore thumb at Brighton. But, in terms of what he’s added to this Chelsea side, he’s got absolutely everything. He’s so calm on the ball, he can play a pass, he can run into the box."
Richards also praised Fernandez's display. The 24-year-old midfielder was just as impressive as Caicedo on Saturday evening, orchestrating many of Chelsea's passages of play.
"But not just Caicedo, I’ve been impressed with Enzo Fernandez," added the Sky Sports pundit. "The way he’s making runs into the box– he always seems to be there. World Cup winner!
"I mean, he’s got such confidence because there was a little bit of debate– people didn’t know quite what he was. Is he a holder? Is he a number eight? Is he a number 10? He’s got a little bit of everything with real quality, and he’s a leader as well.
"I’ve been really impressed with the both of them, to be honest..."
Speaking to club media after the game, Caicedo reflected on his performance. He said: "I play as a midfielder and I’m always outside the D, that’s it. When I hit it, for sure I knew the ball was going to go in. I ran to the corner to celebrate with the players and the fans.
"It was special for me because it was against a great opponent. For sure I want to score goals to help the team, and it was a great goal. I told myself I had to score a goal from outside the box, and I did it."
On Estevao's winner, Caicedo added: "It was a great feeling when Estevao scored. He is doing a great job here and we are so happy to have him here. You can see on the pitch he is so good, it’s the same in training.
"He is showing his quality. We try to help him because the Premier League is so difficult. He is having an impact."
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