Thierry Henry said he was reminded of Ryan Giggs after watching a scintillating individual performance from Estevao in Chelsea’s 3-0 win over ten-man Barcelona.
Estevao took centre stage in Tuesday’s one-sided Champions League contest to outshine Lamine Yamal and further strengthen his status as one of the crucial exciting attacking talents on this planet game.
Stepping up within the absence of Cole Palmer at just 18 years of age, Estevao was a threat throughout and produced the standout moment of real quality to double Chelsea’s lead on a memorable night at Stamford Bridge.
Picking up the ball out wide with the hosts firmly within the ascendancy following Jules Kounde’s own goal, Estevao danced past Pau Cubarsi and arrowed an unstoppable strike beyond Joan Garcia to send Chelsea fans into raptures.
Liam Delap increased the deficit after coming on for Alejandro Garnacho midway through the second half and the Blues held firm to secure their third victory of the group stage, a result that moved the club as much as fifth within the table.
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Estevao became only the third teenager to attain in each of his first three Champions League starts, following within the footsteps of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, together with his thunderous Fifty fifth-minute effort in west London.
The teen later admitted the goal was probably the most ‘special’ he had scored of his profession to this point – and the CBS Sports punditry panel of Jamie Carragher, Micah Richards and Henry almost ran out of superlatives to explain the Brazilian as they analysed the sport.
‘You wouldn’t prefer to play against him,’ legendary ex-Arsenal and France striker Henry said.
‘I’m not saying that you just wouldn’t give you the option to stop him but he’s coming at you on a regular basis.
‘He’s reminding me of… I comprehend it’s early doors… but that’s why I believe Ryan Giggs was the most effective because he was coming at you all game.
‘Whether he’s having game or not game, he’s attempting to test you on a regular basis and see in case you’re going to stop him or not. That’s the way it is as a winger.’
Metro on the Match: Chelsea 3-0 Barcelona
Metro’s Ben Fleming breaks down the motion with the winners and losers from Stamford Bridge:
Neto impresses in latest role
Given the beginning because the central striker with Joao Pedro and Liam Delap benched, Pedro Neto was a livewire up in attack. A scarcity of composure let him down at points, but deploying him centrally might be an important option to offer Estevao with more minutes from the beginning.
Estevao outshines Yamal
Only 18, but Estevao already looks like a person for the large occasion. A winner against Liverpool last month and now a sublime goal to virtually put this game to bed. The Brazilian easily won the battle of the teenage sensations.
Cucurella the cult hero
A faultless display from Cucurella at left-back. Provided loads of support to Garnacho in the ultimate third, and kept his fellow countryman Lamine Yamal quiet for virtually your complete 90 minutes. Revered by the fans who sang his name all night long.
Full Chelsea rankings: Sanchez 7, Gusto 6, Fofana 7, Chalobah 7, Cucurella 8.5, James 6, Caicedo 7, Estevao 9, Fernandez 6, Garnacho 6, Neto 7. Subs: Santos 7, Delap 6, Gittens N/A, Acheampong N/A, George N/A.
Yamal kept quiet
Lost his battle up against Cucurella and struggled to have any real impact on the sport. Not helped by his side going all the way down to ten men, but a visit to London to forget for the supremely talented teen, who made option to jeers from all 4 sides of Stamford Bridge.
Awful Araujo
The rank opposite of a captain’s display from Ronald Araujo. Picked up his first yellow for dissent and sent for an early bath before the half-time whistle for a careless challenge on Cucurella. Cost his team.
Full Barcelona rankings: Joan García 5, Kounde 6, Cubarsi 5, Araujo 3, Balde 5; Eric García 5, De Jong 6, Fermin 6, Yamal 5, Lewandowski 5, Ferran Torres 5. Subs: Rashford 5, Raphinha 5, Christensen 5, Martin N/A, Olmo N/A.
Given the extraordinary talent at his disposal, Henry believes Enzo Maresca could be silly not to permit Estevao to play with the form of freedom he enjoyed against Barcelona.
‘Coaches, at times, are afraid of transition, counter-attack, playing against a low block: in case you lose the ball too early then you definitely’re going to get done being open,’ he continued.
‘But the primary quality of the child is to dribble. Why are you going to take that away?
‘For me, to give you the option to make you drained, I’ll reap the benefits of what I’ve done.
‘It’s like in case you stop a boxer from jabbing. How is he going to work? If I don’t go at you five, six or seven times to stop me, how am I going to have the eighth time? You go to the eighth time and you may see he’s drained now… ninth time he doesn’t want me anymore after which it’s easy.
‘If I don’t make you run, I pass the ball on a regular basis, it’s a straightforward job for you as a right-back or left-back.
‘Let him cook, let him play. We’d like to enjoy this sort of player in most of these games.’
In response to Henry, there’s a bent for managers to be overly risk averse in the trendy game – and dribbling at speed needs to be encouraged.
‘I mention Michael Olise and Bukayo Saka. It doesn’t need to be scripted on a regular basis: pass the ball, don’t lose it,’ he went on.
‘I said it to Desire Doue and I believe I said it on this show, I put him on against Egypt within the semi-finals on the Olympics. I put him on because he’s good in one-vs-one, I needed someone to go and never think anymore.
‘I said, “Have a go at any time when you’ve got the ball, I don’t really care, do what you’ve got to do”, and I believe he passed the ball one time back, second time back and I told him I’d take him out if he did it again.
‘Next thing you already know, yellow card, one other yellow card, the right-back is shipped off and we won the sport.
‘What made you arrive there? Dribbling. So why are you going to talk the guy in a negative way?’
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