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Everything Lamine Yamal performs exudes quality. At times when he is strolling about looking dejected, which he demonstrated often at Stamford Bridge, he does it with the casual style of a star. He gently touches the ball rather than hitting it, creating remarkable power from restricted back-lift. He operates on the balls of his feet, continually vigilant, always able to go both ways. He moves smoothly rather than runs, but does so at velocity. He has already finished as runner-up in the Ballon d’Or. But he was not the best 18-year-old right-sided forward on the pitch on Tuesday, nowhere near.

Rising Prospect Estêvão Makes His Impact

In Estêvão, recruited from Palmeiras for a fee that could increase to £52m, Chelsea have recruited a player who could end up as one of the elite. He has been creating more and more of an influence since getting the last-minute winner against Liverpool last month. His previous four starts for Chelsea have brought four goals, and he also scored in both of Brazil’s friendlies during the international break. It’s premature, but Brazil may at last have found the player they urgently wanted to have found in Neymar.

Estêvão wonder goal lights up Chelsea’s dominant win over 10-man Barcelona

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

Head-to-Head Contest and Powerful Edge

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

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

It’s been a feature 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 essentially by having some larger blokes to attack balls in the box.

And Chelsea, after some nervous moments in the opening quarter, by the middle point of the first half had taken control on Barcelona. The ploy of using a speedy attacker and his pace through the middle was convincingly vindicated.

Set-Piece Mastery and Resilient Strength

The initial strike had felt approaching for at least five minutes before it arrived. It was no great surprise it came from a set play, an area of the game in which it feels like Premier League clubs are playing with gems while the rest of the world is still using basic tools. Barcelona can’t score a regular own goal, of course, but have to adorn it with a quick exchange in a narrow space and a fancy flick. However elaborate the finish, though, the cause was a precise interchange from a corner that created space for a Chelsea player to cross for a teammate.

But the edge doesn’t just appear from an attacking point of view. Lamine Yamal got the better of his marker only occasionally and seemed at times stunned, perhaps even discouraged by a couple of tackles.

That frustration would have major consequences as it led to Lamine Yamal falling over the defender's leg in an attempt to win a free-kick, which in turn led to the Barcelona captain being yellow-carded for his protests. When Araújo – was he still seething? Conscious of his side’s shortcomings? Outmaneuvered? – charged at Cucurella a few minutes later the conclusion was inevitable and effectively decided the game.

Strategic Differences and Closing Outcome

Perhaps Barcelona could have dug in, 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 picture two managers more diverse in attitude than the Everton boss and Hansi Flick.

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 advancing into the space behind the back line, got a third from Liam Delap and, if they’d really needed to, could likely have notched a couple more.

It’s only the initial phase 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 evident.

Lamine Yamal was replaced with 10 minutes remaining, wandering to the bench with a sense of regretful acceptance, accompanied by a scattering of half-hearted jeers. But there was no need to taunt him; the battle was already over and definitively so. Estêvão, the clear victor, departed the pitch to a rapturous ovation three minutes later. His were the honours, and Chelsea’s the points.