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Each move Lamine Yamal does radiates quality. At times when he is walking about appearing dejected, which he showed frequently at Stamford Bridge, he does it with the effortless elegance of a top player. He caresses the ball rather than hitting it, generating impressive power from restricted back-lift. He plays on the balls of his feet, always vigilant, always able to go in any direction. He slides rather than dashes, but does so at velocity. He has already ended up as silver medalist in the Ballon d’Or. But he was not the top 18-year-old right-sided forward on the pitch on Tuesday, far from it.

Developing Star Estêvão Makes His Mark

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

Estevao wonder goal lights up Chelsea’s impressive win over 10-man Barcelona

Estevao's goal, scored after 55 minutes to absolutely seal a win that hadn’t fully been in doubt from the moment the Barcelona captain was sent off just before half-time, was a classic. In part, it was about Chelsea winning the ball back and Reece James’s pass, but primarily it was about the Brazilian scurrying at frightening speed, dummying left and right, shaking off markers and driving a shot high past the goalkeeper.

Face-to-Face Battle and Powerful Advantage

The chant of “You’re just a poor Estêvão,” directed at Lamine Yamal may have been extremely harsh on the Spaniard, and may not have rhymed, but there was no doubting which of the two had prevailed.

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

It’s been a trait of the Champions League this season just how much of a athletic edge Premier League teams have over their European rivals. Liverpool have faced difficulties physically in the Premier League this season but dominated Real Madrid. Newcastle beat Athletic Bilbao basically by having some more physical blokes to attack balls in the box.

And Chelsea, after some nervous moments in the opening quarter, by the midway point of the first half had asserted their authority on Barcelona. The strategy of using Pedro Neto and his pace through the middle was convincingly vindicated.

Set-Piece Mastery and Defensive Solidity

The first goal had felt imminent for at least five minutes before it materialized. It was no great surprise it came from a set-piece, an area of the game in which it seems like Premier League clubs are competing with gems 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 narrow space and a fancy flick. However ornate the finish, though, the reason was a precise interchange from a corner that generated space for a Chelsea player to cross for Enzo Fernández.

But the edge doesn’t just manifest from an goal-scoring point of view. Lamine Yamal got the better of his marker only infrequently and seemed at times shocked, perhaps even disheartened by a couple of tackles.

That annoyance would have major consequences as it led to Lamine Yamal falling over Cucurella’s leg in an attempt to win a free-kick, which in turn led to the Barcelona captain being yellow-carded for his arguments. When Araújo – remained angry? Aware of his side’s weaknesses? Outsmarted? – lunged at the opponent a few minutes later the result was inevitable and effectively settled the game.

Strategic Differences and Final Conclusion

Perhaps Barcelona could have hunkered down, shielded in a defensive formation and tried to snatch something on the break, as Everton had done at Manchester United on Monday, but it’s hard to envision two managers more contrasting in approach than David Moyes and the Barcelona coach.

A team set up to defend with a line as high as Barcelona’s really has few options when they are cut down to 10. They dropped off a bit, but Chelsea still kept driving into the space behind the back line, secured a third from a substitute and, if they’d truly needed to, could likely have added a couple more.

It’s only the group stage and things can evolve in the spring as built-up fatigue begins to weaken at English sides but the pattern of Premier League supremacy through pace and force is clear.

Lamine Yamal was substituted with 10 minutes left, walking to the bench with a sense of regretful submission, followed by a few of unenthusiastic jeers. But there was no need to goad him; the fight was already finished and decisively so. Estevao, the obvious victor, left the pitch to a enthusiastic ovation three minutes later. His were the accolades, and Chelsea’s the victory.