Wesley Fofana has a shot at redemption after shocking first half in Man United win, Estevao cements his status as Chelsea’s fan favourite – and why Romeo Lavia was their star man, writes KIERAN GILL

There is something called the Science of Scare Project. 

It is a study ranking the most frightening films of all time by measuring an audience’s reaction to watching them. Via their average heart rate, highest spike, time between heartbeats, and so on.

Halloween enthusiasts consulting this year’s eerie list found the spookiest ever was a 2012 supernatural horror called Sinister. That received a ‘Scare Score’ of 96/100. It beat The Conjuring (88/100), Paranormal Activity (73/100), Texas Chainsaw Massacre (65/100), and so on.

If only the good folks behind this scientific study had hooked up the Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge. It would have been intriguing to know the fluctuating activity of their hearts as they watched Wesley Fofana flirt with gifting Manchester United the opening goal.

We would have seen the spikes occur whenever he was involved. Chelsea’s major mistakes came from the 25-year-old Frenchman, who will be needed more while Maxence Lacroix is recovering from his hamstring injury. 

Xabi Alonso has told us Lacroix is facing ‘a few weeks’ on the sidelines, but sources around the player have suggested he may not return until 2027. That information has also been stood up by the odd contact at the club.

Which is worrying for Alonso and Co. While Chelsea wound up winning 2-0 against an abysmal United team now hovering over the relegation zone, Fofana’s first half was a shocker.

First, he was burgled of the ball by the halfway line. Amad countered, and while he should have made more of the chance, he won a corner. United scored from this attacking phase, but Chelsea survived when VAR decided the scorer, Matheus Cunha, was offside. 

Then, Fofana misjudged a long pass to leave Amad with only Mike Penders to beat. Chelsea got away with that one, too.

This followed what happened at Anfield on Wednesday when Chelsea exited the Carabao Cup. Fofana swapped football for volleyball at a Liverpool corner to hand them their penalty equaliser. At the shootout, he was the unfortunate soul who skied the decisive spot-kick to confirm defeat.

If Alonso had any other senior central defenders available on his bench, he might have made the change at half-time versus United. He did not, and so Fofana survived a hooking. 

To Fofana’s credit, he calmed after the break. He was the one clattered to win Chelsea their penalty and earn Lisandro Martinez his second yellow. There was even a point towards the end, when Chelsea were leading 2-0 against United’s 10 men, that he was trying to pass from the back. 

Bruno Fernandes stood in his way and so he simply nutmegged his opponent to find Valentin Barco. As Fofana jogged by Fernandes immediately afterwards, he rubbed it in a little, laughing at United’s captain with a little finger-wagging gesture.

That told us the confidence is there, though Chelsea fans will continue to fear he is a player too prone to a clanger, rather than a centre back who cost £75million from Leicester City in 2022. 

Even before his errors here, there were pieces penned by other websites suggesting he should be seen as the worst signing of the BlueCo era. Thanks to his driving infringements, we know how much he earns, too. More than £200,000 per week, his lawyer had to tell Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court in January as his client reached a remarkable 50 points on his licence.

It is fair to say he has not lived up to the hype which accompanied his arrival with injuries having hampered his career. But here is a small chance at redemption. Lacroix may miss the remainder of 2026, and Fofana will be needed. Chelsea would love him to reduce his ‘Scare Score’ which, in the first half of this win over United, was rivalling Sinister’s record.

Penders keepers 

Those of us inside Stamford Bridge did not notice it. We thought Bryan Mbeumo had sent his shot straight into the crossbar. But then we saw Penders celebrating, and the slow-mo replays.

Penders got his fingertips to it. He stopped any chance it had of creeping underneath the crossbar to reduce the scoreline to 2-1. The 21-year-old Belgian earned this clean sheet.

It was good to see. He had a nightmare against Tottenham, there is no hiding from that. He punched a cross into his own goal to give Spurs their opener in that 2-0 defeat. But at Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, he responded well. Then here against United, he would not be beaten.

There has been talk of Chelsea rushing back Martinez from his jaw injury, maybe by having him wear a protective mask. But Penders performing like this may mean that is not necessary.

Estevao grabs his chance

The loudest cheer when the line-ups were announced was reserved for Estevao, followed by Stamford Bridge chanting ‘Stevo, Stevo’. They love him, and they are right to love him.

He had to wait a long time for his first Premier League start of the season. Arguably too long.

But he seized his opportunity. Estevao scored two goals – alas, both were disallowed for offside – but he was forever involved. Chelsea supporters were thrilled they got to watch him, and now, he has given Alonso a selection headache because it was a showing which said he should start more.

Daily Mail Sport reported in our Chelsea Confidential column this week how there had been no fallout between Alonso and Estevao, despite speculation suggesting otherwise. His exclusion from the line-up was down to tactical and technical decisions. 

When Estevao thought he had scored for the second time, he ran over to Alonso to give him a hug. When substituted, there was another cuddle. All is fine in that relationship, even if the 19-year-old Brazilian is itching to play more.

Romeo loves it 

Jordan Henderson fell ill and so was unable to start his sixth successive match for Chelsea.

But that afforded an opportunity to Romeo Lavia. He had completed his first full 90 in a competitive game for Chelsea at Liverpool in the Carabao Cup. Then, a day before this Premier League visit of United, he was told he would need to start again.

Despite TNT Sports being blinded by Morgan Rogers’ fine opener – they gave him the player-of-the-match award – Lavia was actually the best performer in this victory. It was his winning of the ball that led to Rogers scoring. He then completed yet another full 90. You wait for one bus, then two come along at once.