Chelsea's fine form under Enzo Maresca continued with a blockbuster win over Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday. The Blues turned on the style against their Spanish rivals, coming away 3-0 winners, thanks to an own goal from Jules Kounde, a wonderful Estevao strike and Liam Delap's first goal at Stamford Bridge. But the Premier League side could have had six or seven, such was their dominance under the lights in the capital.
The home side saw two goals ruled out for offside inside the first 25 minutes, with Enzo Fernandez twice having his celebrations cut short thanks to first a Wesley Fofana handball and then the offside flag. In fact, the Blues almost saw themselves go behind after a rare Barca attack in the early stages, as some slick play from Lamine Yamal saw the La Masia wonderkid slip Ferran Torres through, only for the former Manchester City man to fire agonisingly wide of Robert Sanchez's goal.
Just over 20 minutes later, the visitors were punished. It was third time lucky for Maresca's men, who were finally allowed to celebrate with the Stamford Bridge faithful after Marc Cucurella – who was brilliant across the night – beat the high line of Barcelona and delivered a low cross into the six-yard box. After a scrappy few seconds that saw Pedro Neto attempt a backheel into the net, the ball bounced off Jules Kounde and in, giving Chelsea a deserved lead.
With their backs now against the wall, Barca's misery was further compounded after captain Ronald Araujo was sent off just before half-time. A silly yellow card for dissent towards the referee was followed by a reckless tackle on Cucurella, giving the official no choice but to dismiss the Uruguay international.
With Chelsea in full control, it was plain sailing for most of the second half. The moment of the night came from the highly-rated Estevao, who weaved in and out of the Barcelona defence before blasting an effort into the roof of the net with his weaker right foot. It was another clear sign of the talent he possesses, outshining Yamal when the moment mattered most.
The pain did not stop there for Flick's side, who saw their defence breached for a third time before the final whistle. This time it was Delap who struck, firing home low from Fernandez's pass to put a seal on the game that was never really a contest.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…
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Robert Sanchez (7/10):
Another solid outing. He dealt with a few dangerous balls in behind his defenders but was barely stretched across the night.
Reece James (8/10):
His extended period without picking up an injury is paying off in a big way. The Chelsea captain led by example as usual, even clipping in a fabulous ball in behind for Estevao's goal.
Wesley Fofana (6/10):
Looked comfortable on an evening where he had little to do.
Trevoh Chalobah (7/10):
Let out a few roars for the crowd across the night after making a number of crunching tackles. Dealt with the threat of Lewandowski incredibly well and looked determined to keep a clean sheet. Job done!
Marc Cucurella (9/10):
Locked up his international team-mate Yamal with ease, and proved once again why he is one of the best defenders in Europe.
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Malo Gusto (7/10):
Hounded down the Barca players from midfield and swept up everything not already covered by Caicedo. Replaced by Andrey Santos at half-time.
Moises Caicedo (9/10):
Another impeccable performance from the Blues' star midfielder. Every 30 seconds, Caicedo would pop up with a crucial tackle and keep Chelsea on the front foot. Relentless for every second he was on the pitch.
Enzo Fernandez (8/10):
Pulled the strings in a slightly more advanced role and could have had two goals of his own, were it not for marginal calls. Instead, the Argentine had to settle for a delightful assist, which he put on a plate for Delap.
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Estevao (8/10):
The young Brazilian proved there is substance behind the comparisons between himself and Yamal. His magic moment in the second half stole the show, putting the home side in the driving seat and adding another fantastic goal to his growing Chelsea collection.
Pedro Neto (6/10):
He was less effective on the ball than his team-mates, but made plenty of piercing runs in behind the Barcelona backline. Had one big chance in the first half that he blazed over and another from a driving run in the second.
Alejandro Garnacho (4/10):
It was a quiet evening for the summer signing from Manchester United. Aside from a blocked shot in the opening 45, Garnacho was ineffective and subsequently hooked before the 60-minute mark.
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Andrey Santos (6/10):
Was introduced at half-time and covered plenty of ground, albeit the midfielder rarely got his foot on the ball and opted to do the dirty work alongside Caicedo and Fernandez.
Liam Delap (7/10):
Came on and ran riot, bulldozing his way into dangerous positions and eventually being rewarded with his first goal at Stamford Bridge to put the game to bed at 3-0.
Jamie Gittens (6/10):
Looked sharp in the minutes he was given and gave Kounde a run for his money, albeit his legs were much fresher than the Frenchman's.
Tyrique George (N/A):
Introduced for the final few minutes in place of the outstanding Estevao.
Josh Acheampong (N/A):
Came on for captain Reece James, who received a standing ovation from the Chelsea faithful.
Enzo Maresca (9/10):
The head coach got his tactics spot on and completely outcoached Flick in the opposite dugout. The quick passing and runs in behind paid off, even if his players were still caught offside a number of times. Deserves a huge amount of credit for the win.