Micah Richards and Alan Shearer in agreement on £222m Chelsea duo after Liverpool win

Alan Shearer and Micah Richards have lavished praise on Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez after their standout performances in Chelsea's massive victory over Liverpool. Caicedo, 23, was the star of the show at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening, scoring a stunning goal from outside the box.

Caicedo broke the deadlock within the first 15 minutes, finding the top left-hand corner with pin-point precision. The Ecuador international breezed past Alexis Mac Allister in midfield - before beating Giorgi Mamardashvili from distance.

Cody Gakpo managed to level things up just on the hour-mark, scoring against the run of play. However, Estevao Willian clinched victory in stoppage-time, darting ahead of Andy Robertson to score at the back post.

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With support from Romeo Lavia - who came on for Benoit Badiashile after half-time - Caicedo and Fernandez led the FIFA Club World Cup champions to victory. Initially reflecting on the Ecuadorian's 'superb' performance, onthe Rest Is Football podcast, Shearer and Richards were full of admiration.

Shearer said: "Caicedo...oh my god! He was absolutely magnificent, he really was.

"It was the perfect midfield performance. It had everything. Superb."

Ex-Manchester City right-back Richards added: "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 with Brighton. But, in terms of what he's now 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."

Fernandez, also received high praise from Richards for his stellar performance during Saturday evening's match, where he masterminded many of Chelsea's key plays. Richards added: "But not just Caicedo, I've been impressed with Enzo Fernandez.

"The way he's making runs into the box - he always seems to be there. A World Cup winner! I mean, he's got such confidence. 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."

After the match, Caicedo shared his thoughts on his performance with in-house club media. 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."

Speaking about Estevao's winning goal, Caicedo said: "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 with us."

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