Chelsea’s 3-0 win on Tuesday was the night 18-year-old Estevao announced himself on the world stage with a wonder goal that put his fellow young winger firmly in the crosshairs.
Of course, 18-year-old Yamal won’t be too concerned about the dust settling. He is a European Championship winner, two-time LaLiga champion and Ballon d’Or runner-up with Spain. The world is at his feet and will sit there for a decade or more if he wants.
Likewise, the bloated nature of this Champions League group stage means Barcelona’s 15th-place position in the table is no disaster, given that three match weeks lie ahead, including eminently winnable games against Bayer Leverkusen, Copenhagen and Slavia Prague.
But it is the kind of occasion that inspires Estevao and Chelsea to negotiate at the highest level of the game, allowing a fan who has seen an unprecedented turnaround at his club since winning the Champions League in 2021 to believe that his team is on its way to competing at a professional level again.
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The ceiling for what Estevao can achieve in the game continues to expand. It may not even exist. Those who came expecting Yamal to define another game with his brilliant talent were left for a moment to marvel at the era the winger provided with the opposite team in the opposite direction.
Already a goal and a man ahead after Jules Kounde’s ridiculous 27th-minute suicide goal and Ronald Araújo’s 44th-minute foul, Chelsea quickly turned the ball over when Reece James fed Estevao.
The 18-year-old still had a lot to do, but he went on the run, cutting inside Pau Cubarci on his left foot and then turning back to the right past Alejandro Balde before firing a high shot past Joan Garcia into the net.
Television cameras immediately – and inevitably – asked Yamal for his reaction. He tried to disrespect. Estevao was busy celebrating in the far corner of Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was almost in disbelief at the direction of his coaching staff.
Maresca later felt that this goal was like Lionel Messi’s.
“No, Estevao’s goal reminded me of the goal he scored against us in the Club World Cup, which is exactly the same, same action,” Maresca said, referring to the goal Estevao scored in the quarterfinals of the tournament last summer, when he played for Palmeiras. By then, Chelsea had already announced that the Brazilian club would be joining the Premier League club ahead of the new season, following the World Cup.
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What makes Estevao a special player for Chelsea?
Stewart Robson and Craig Burley discuss Estevao’s performance versus Barcelona and his contribution to Chelsea’s attack.
Maresca added, “Estevao needs to rest. He needs to enjoy, he needs to have (training) sessions. He needs to play football.” “Him, Lamine, they are so young, 18, that if you start talking about Messi, (Cristiano) Ronaldo, I think it’s too much pressure for young boys like them. They need to enjoy themselves, get to the training ground, be happy, the sessions. When you start comparing with Messi or Ronaldo, I think it’s too much for them.”
Estévão became only the third player to score in his first three Champions League matches. the other two? Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. This is the company Estevao is starting to keep.
His five goals for Chelsea this season are equal to the combined goals of all other Premier League players aged 18 or under.
Chelsea kept their spirits up throughout against Barcelona on Tuesday. Three disallowed goals almost became four when Enzo Fernandez’s square pass was converted by substitute Liam Delap but this time a VAR review came out in their favour. Delap’s first Champions League goal – and only his second in 14 games since a £30million summer transfer from Ipswich Town – was another welcome boost.
Fernandez was excellent all night, as was Mark Cucurella. Barcelona regretted a dreadful miss from Ferran Torres to seal a clean sweep with just six minutes to go, but last season’s semi-finalists were second best both before and after Araujo, leaving them with a mountain to climb. Coincidentally, Barcelona was the first team in 14 years to score an own goal and send a man off the field in a Champions League game, and only the third team in history to score an own goal in a Champions League game.
Chelsea was unique. It wasn’t bad for a team once called “Cole Palmer FC” – they were so reliant on the England playmaker to inject creativity into Maresca’s uninspired style.
This is a threat to change. The “world champion” tag has felt hollow given the flawed format of FIFA’s Club World Cup, but more nights like this will only add to the feeling that Chelsea are becoming the real deal.
As former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney said: “We haven’t even mentioned Cole Palmer tonight. That’s how well Chelsea played.”
Chelsea’s tendency has been to protect Estevao and that should continue. But it will become difficult. It was only his ninth start in all competitions, but the temptation to rule him out again will be strong on Sunday when Premier League leaders Arsenal are the visitors. So, will it be hard to protect him?
“To be honest, no, because if he doesn’t play, Pedro Neto plays wide in his place,” Maresca said. “And Pedro is good. We are happy with Pedro. It depends on the game plan. Tonight we decide in the toughest game of the season, we play with Estevao. I am not a manager who allows a player not to play minutes. It’s just the game plan. The game plan defines the first 11. Next is Arsenal. Estevao, when the game plan is for him, he is going to play. And of course he is going to play many games because That’s very good.”
Yamal was substituted with 11 minutes remaining. He left the pitch shaking his head, exchanging a cursory clap of hands with Barcelona coach Hansi Flick and enduring another chorus of “You’re just a s— Estévão” from the Chelsea fans as he slumped dejectedly onto the bench.
There are many bright days ahead for Yamal – this has long been considered inevitable. But now that increasingly seems to be the case for Chelsea and Estevao, who walked off the field to a standing ovation moments later.
High-fives followed his teammates down the sidelines, before he reached back to shake hands with a man dressed in black in the back row. It was Palmer. Imagine what they might be able to do together.
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