Chelsea Star Estevao Shows Giggs-Like Relentlessness as Lamine Yamal Gets Mocked After Struggling Display
Former star Thierry Henry sees a similarity between Chelsea’s young winger Estevao and the legendary Ryan Giggs, highlighting Estevao’s persistent and determined style of play.
Meanwhile, football icon Wayne Rooney was extremely impressed with Marc Cucurella’s display against Barcelona, calling it the finest performance he’s witnessed from a left-back in a considerable period.
Chelsea dominated Barcelona in their match on Tuesday. The two teams, each holding the second spot in their respective leagues, were evenly matched in the Champions League standings heading into the game.
Both sides have boasted impressive attacking prowess this season, but it was Chelsea’s forward players who truly shone.
They found the back of the net three times, with the first goal being an own goal by Jules Kounde, followed by a brilliant individual effort from Estevao, and finally, Liam Delap sealed the victory.
Estevao delivered a dazzling performance, wreaking havoc on the opposing defense and earning himself a top-tier player rating for the match.
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His exceptional run of form this season includes an impressive five goals and one assist, with three of those goals contributing to his team’s success in European competitions.
Thierry Henry has been particularly impressed, drawing comparisons between Estevao’s playing style and that of Manchester United icon, Ryan Giggs.
According to Henry, facing Estevao on the field would be a nightmare for any defender. While stopping him entirely might be possible, Estevao’s relentless attacking nature makes him a constant threat.
Henry believes Estevao’s persistent desire to test defenders, regardless of his own performance on any given day, is reminiscent of Giggs’ legendary style.
He emphasizes that this constant probing and testing of opponents is a hallmark of a great winger.
Chelsea’s left-sided defender, Cucurella, earned the highest praise for his outstanding display, effectively neutralizing the threat posed by young winger Lamine Yamal.
His performance drew commendation from Rooney, who lauded it as a benchmark for players in that role.
Rooney commented, suggesting that facing Estevao in practice had honed Cucurella’s skills in handling tricky wingers like Yamal.
He elaborated, saying: “Cucurella’s performance was truly exceptional. It’s arguably the finest I’ve witnessed from a left-back in a considerable period.
Considering the magnitude of the occasion and his contribution, he’s a top-quality player.”
This victory marked Chelsea’s third consecutive win across all competitions, solidifying their unbeaten run to six matches.
Sanchez Takes a Dig at Yamal and Labels Estevao a Mess
A player from Chelsea has playfully taunted Lamine Yamal, suggesting he’s heavily influenced by or under the control of one of his teammates.
This ribbing followed chants directed at the Barcelona star, crudely implying he’s an inferior version of Estevao.
Both Chelsea and Barcelona are performing strongly in their domestic leagues. They each hold the runner-up spot, with Barcelona trailing Real Madrid by a narrower margin than Chelsea trails Arsenal.
Leading up to their Champions League encounter, their performance in the competition was remarkably similar, both teams having secured seven points from their first four matches.
Before the match began, discussions centered on Barcelona’s defensive strategy of pushing players high up the field and the intriguing competition between young stars Yamal and Estevao for attention.
Yamal had previously placed second in the voting for the 2025 prestigious individual award and had been involved in 14 goals this season.
However, it was Estevao who ultimately impressed, skillfully maneuvering around defenders to score a powerful goal past the goalkeeper – Chelsea’s second of three.
Estevao received a high performance score, being rated the second-best player in the game with a rating of 7.9.
Throughout the game, Chelsea supporters taunted Yamal, suggesting he was inferior to Estevao.
The rivalry continued after the final whistle, as Chelsea’s goalkeeper, when interviewed about the competition between Yamal and another player, playfully suggested that the latter had the former under control.
Even after the final whistle, the criticism continued. When questioned by El Chiringuito TV about the duel between Yamal and Marc Cucurella, Blues goalie Robert Sanchez quipped, “He’s got him in his pocket.”Â
Sanchez also asserted that Chelsea, not Barca, should be considered the favorites to lift the Champions League trophy.
He pointed out that they currently have 10 points, placing them in a good position to advance to the knockout stages, sitting in fifth.
Regarding Yamal’s contribution, he was among Barcelona’s stronger players, earning a solid 7.1 rating for the match.
He created a significant opportunity, delivered two important passes, managed one shot on goal, and successfully completed four dribbles.
While the opponent struggled to make an impact, Cucurella dominated the game, earning the highest rating of any player with an impressive 8.1.
The Chelsea defender from Spain excelled on the left side of the pitch, successfully winning possession three times, disrupting opposition plays with two interceptions, clearing the ball from danger twice, and blocking a shot.
Despite being challenged, he was only beaten by dribbling three times. He also created a significant scoring opportunity with a key pass and maintained a high level of accuracy with 87% of his passes finding their target.
Cucurella had previously mentioned that training against Estevao was helping him prepare for the challenge of facing Yamal, but also emphasized that the outcome of the match depended on more than just their individual contest.
He stated that the game was a collective effort, requiring teamwork and a strong performance from everyone to secure a victory.
He acknowledged the difficulty of the challenge but expressed hope that they could perform at their best and win.
Ultimately, Cucurella’s success in neutralizing Yamal proved crucial in limiting the opposition’s attacking threat.
