🔗 Share this article

Each move Lamine Yamal executes exudes class. On occasions where he is moving about seeming disheartened, which he showed frequently at Stamford Bridge, he does it with the nonchalant grace of a top player. He gently touches the ball rather than hitting it, generating remarkable power from minimal back-lift. He operates on the balls of his feet, continually vigilant, consistently able to go either way. He glides rather than runs, but does so at velocity. He has already ended up as runner-up in the Ballon d’Or. But he was not the best 18-year-old right-wing forward on the pitch on Tuesday, far from it.

Emerging Star Estêvão Makes His Imprint

In Estêvão, brought in from Palmeiras for a fee that could rise to £52m, Chelsea have secured a player who could turn out as one of the elite. He has been making more and more of an influence since getting the last-minute winner against Liverpool last month. His last four starts for Chelsea have produced four goals, and he also scored in both of Brazil’s friendlies during the international break. It’s just the beginning, but Brazil may finally have uncovered the player they keenly wanted to have secured in Neymar.

Estevao wonder goal illuminates Chelsea’s dominant win over 10-man Barcelona

Estevao's goal, scored after 55 minutes to definitively seal a win that hadn’t really been in doubt from the moment the Barcelona captain was red-carded just before half-time, was a classic. In part, it was about Chelsea retrieving the ball back and a teammate's pass, but mainly it was about the Brazilian scurrying at incredible speed, feinting left and right, shaking off markers and lashing a shot high past the goalkeeper.

Direct Duel and Physical Advantage

The chant of “You’re just a shit Estêvão,” directed at Lamine Yamal may have been overly harsh on the Spaniard, and may not have scanned, but there was no disputing which of the two had come out on top.

Estevao is 80 days older and has played 22 games fewer but at the moment he looks a more robust player – and consistent Premier League experience is only set to strengthen that.

It’s been a characteristic of the Champions League this season just how much of a athletic edge Premier League teams have over their European rivals. Liverpool have struggled physically in the Premier League this season but outpowered Real Madrid. Newcastle beat Athletic Bilbao fundamentally by having some bigger blokes to challenge for balls in the box.

And Chelsea, after some shaky moments in the opening quarter, by the midway point of the first half had asserted their authority on Barcelona. The tactic of using a speedy attacker and his pace through the middle was convincingly justified.

Restart Dominance and Resilient Solidity

The opener had felt approaching for at least five minutes before it came. It was no major surprise it came from a dead-ball situation, an area of the game in which it feels like Premier League clubs are playing with diamonds while the rest of the world is still using ordinary items. Barcelona can’t score a standard own goal, of course, but have to embellish it with a short pass in a tight space and a backheel nutmeg. However elaborate the finish, though, the reason was a slick interchange from a corner that opened up space for Marc Cucurella to cross for a teammate.

But the superiority doesn’t just manifest from an offensive point of view. Lamine Yamal got the better of Marc Cucurella only infrequently and seemed at times stunned, perhaps even disheartened by a couple of blocks.

That irritation would have major consequences as it led to Lamine Yamal plunging over the defender's leg in an attempt to win a free-kick, which in turn led to the Barcelona captain being booked for his protests. When Araújo – continued fuming? Mindful of his side’s shortcomings? Beaten? – dived at Cucurella a few minutes later the conclusion was unavoidable and practically resolved the game.

Game Plan Variations and Ending Conclusion

Perhaps Barcelona could have defended deeply, protected in a defensive formation and hoped to pinch something on the break, as Everton had done at Manchester United on Monday, but it’s hard to imagine two managers more contrasting in attitude than David Moyes and Hansi Flick.

A team organized to defend with a line as high as Barcelona’s really has nowhere to go when they are cut down to 10. They dropped off a bit, but Chelsea still kept advancing into the space behind the back line, scored a third from Liam Delap and, if they’d really needed to, could possibly have scored a couple more.

It’s only the opening round and things can change in the spring as accumulated fatigue begins to sap at English sides but the tendency of Premier League control through quickness and strength is clear.

Lamine Yamal was withdrawn with 10 minutes remaining, wandering to the bench with a sense of rueful submission, followed by a scattering of weak jeers. But there was no need to goad him; the contest was already finished and decisively so. Estêvão, the obvious victor, exited the pitch to a ecstatic ovation three minutes later. His were the praises, and Chelsea’s the win.