Willian Continues to Show Why He's the Man to Transform Chelsea's Season

STAMFORD BRIDGE, LONDON—Whatever Willian is drinking, Jose Mourinho needs to prescribe it to the rest of his Chelsea players.

The Brazilian was magnificent again on Wednesday evening, proving the main reason for his team’s 2-1 victory over Dynamo Kiev.

John Terry had given a rallying call to Chelsea 24 hours before this fixture. The captain spoke of the team sticking together to get through their current slump, of them digging deep to rediscover their resolve.

Willian didn’t heed those words to the letter, though. He stood a man apart from every Chelsea player at Stamford Bridge with his brilliance.

Without him, we may be talking about Chelsea firing another blank. Fortunately for Mourinho, we’re not.

Willian assisted Chelsea’s opener here with a teasing cross that invited Aleksander Dragovic to head into his own goal.

And when the same player atoned for his earlier error to draw Kiev level in the 77th minute, Willian punished the visitors again with a sublime free-kick to kill the game six minutes later.

It’s par for the course with Willian these days. Now in his third season at Stamford Bridge, he’s reaching the same heights that Eden Hazard did last season.

What impresses most, however, is that Willian is doing it almost single-handed.

Whereas Hazard benefited from a team in form last term, Willian is carrying Chelsea at the moment. He’s been their main outlet this past month or so, working tirelessly in defence and attack.

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His attitude and character have been remarkable. While others have slumped and looked bereft of confidence, Willian has excelled.

He’s seized the moment.

That fact hasn’t been lost on his team-mates, with Kurt Zouma full of praise for Willian’s recent form and his man-of-the-match display against Kiev.

"He is flying," Zouma told Bleacher Report. "We are very happy with him because he is playing very well.

"Even the free-kicks he is shooting very well. I hope he continues like this all season."

If he does, any doubts surrounding Mourinho’s Stamford Bridge tenure will soon disappear.

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Willian was infectious on Wednesday night. Players and fans alike seemed tentative before kick-off. Even the club anthem Blue is the Colour normally played with gusto over the Tannoy had a deflated air to it.

Willian lifted them all. The crowd reacted to him; his team-mates reacted; his manager reacted.

It was the sort of display Chelsea have been desperate for in their attempts to turn the corner.

Now, the challenge is to build on it. Now, Chelsea must travel to Stoke City on Saturday and do it all over again to show this team is ready to live up to its billing.

Chelsea were playing for many things against Kiev on Wednesday evening. First and foremost it was their Champions League future; they couldn’t afford anything less than a victory.

Then came their season, with a much-needed positive turnaround in their fortunes.

After all, that was the need to show Terry’s words from Tuesday were true, that this team remains behind Mourinho.

They've changed the conversation by footballing means.

"It was a win for [Mourinho] and for everyone," Willian told us. "We knew we had to win and in this game we were in a difficult moment in the second half when they scored their goal, but we kept fighting.

"We fought to the end and scored the second goal."

That’s what it all comes down to. Chelsea have buckled too often this season when teams have pegged them back, but this was different.

The nerves were inevitable, yet they showed a better mentality than at any other period in 2015/16 to not let it faze them.

They picked themselves up and got back at Kiev to win the game.

It was all thanks to Willian.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes