WILLIAN broke down in tears after scoring Chelsea’s third against Stoke to seal a record 13th straight win.
The Brazilian’s mum died in October following a brave two-year battle with cancer.
And he clearly struggled to deal with his emotions after helping the Blues continue their superb run.
After the game, boss Antonio Conte hailed Willian for his mental toughness in coming through a tricky period personally.
Conte said: “It’s fantastic. I’m pleased for him.
“We all know the difficult period that Willy passed through.
“He played a really good game with and without the ball. He is a really good guy and deserves this above all because of the bad period he had.
“We tried to stay close to him, his team-mates and the club and me. But it’s not easy for a person in this type of situation.
“I’m pleased he came through this period. He is a fantastic player but, above all, he is a fantastic man.”
Willian posted a touching tribute on Instagram after his mother’s tragic death.
The Brazilian missed the Blues’ clash against Leicester in October.
Willian took to social media, where he wrote a heartfelt poem in his native Portuguese, praising her and expressing how much he will miss her.
The post received over 90,000 likes in just seven hours with fans sending tributes and messages of condolence in their thousands.
Willian’s former club Corinthians tweeted the player their condolences.
Dona Zeze died of cancer in hospital after a two-year battle.
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