Chelsea made their presence felt in the Champions League with their biggest ever victory against Barcelona on a memorable night at Stamford Bridge. The scoreline didn’t tell the whole story, with the Blues running riot against their Spanish rivals and having three goals ruled out. Enzo Fernandes twice put the ball into the net before Jules Kounde bundled it over his own line to give Chelsea the advantage.
The attendance then dwindled when Ronald Araujo was booked for a second time for a clumsy challenge on Marc Cucurella. Chelsea took full advantage of this and increased the pressure, with Andrei Santos having his goal ruled out for offside during the build-up. Just a few minutes later, Estevao stole the show as he danced into the box and smashed an absolute rocket into the top corner. It was a icing on the cake for the Blues as Liam Delap added a third goal as the clock ticked down, sending a bold warning to the rest of Europe’s elite.
Express Sport takes a look at how all of Chelsea’s players performed in tonight’s win…
Chelsea vs Barcelona player ratings
Robert Sanchez – 7
He showed courage by jumping out to defend his goal and did enough to earn a clean sheet. They distributed the ball effectively and attacked from the back of the field.
Maro Gusto – 7
Although he played a decent game, he was overshadowed by the top-notch play of Cucurella on the opposite flank. Exchange it during the break after making a reservation.
Trevor Chalobah – 8
He played an active role as a commanding figure on the final line. He had the discipline to keep his shape rather than jumping into tackles and creating gaps in the defense.
Wesley Fofana – 8
He almost scored a goal early on, but the ball hit his arm during the build-up. He played an important role in keeping Barcelona’s forwards at bay, linking up with Charova to shut down their attacks.
Marc Cucurella – 9
He easily scored on the left side and posed danger to the front line with his crosses. He managed to silence Lamine Yamal in the final third. This is a huge accomplishment for the defender.
Reece James – 7
We started off with some sluggish passing, but improved as the game progressed. There were some speculative shots from range that didn’t trouble the goalie.
Moises Caicedo – 8
He covered all the grass in the middle of the park, retreating with great speed to complete important tasks, and at the same time contributing with the ball at his feet. He helped the team by doing a lot of the dirty work that was often overlooked.
Enzo Fernandes – 8
He was the scorer of two canceled goals in the first half. He excelled in a creative role behind the sole striker and was at the heart of a good performance in the final third. A splendid display.
Estevao – 9
At times he led the offensive line and looked like a threat every time he got possession of the ball. In a battle of teenage superstars, he scored a stunning goal to double Chelsea’s lead and defeat Yamal.
Alejandro Garnacho – 6
We had a relatively quiet game and didn’t do much in the final third. While Chelsea narrowly won the game, he was overshadowed by the attackers.
Pedro Neto – 7
They missed a big chance to take the lead, but a few minutes later they made amends and took a shot, but it went over the target. Played as a striker and had a decent game in an unfamiliar position.
substitute
Andrei Santos – 6
He replaced Gusto in the second half. He performed well enough to become Chelsea’s third canceled goal scorer.
Liam Delap – 7
He was brought on for Garnacho just before time expired. He pressed from the front and scored a goal with a stunning finish, capping off his team’s fluid movement.
Jamie Gittens – 6
He played the final 15 minutes in place of Neto. We had some good moments, but we couldn’t score.
Tilik George – N/A
Estevao joined in the second half.
Josh Achiampong – n/a
He was added in the second half to replace James.
