LONDON — Enzo Maresca has cautioned that comparing Chelsea’s young talent Estêvão to icons like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could impose “too much pressure” on him.
Estêvão was the standout player for the Blues, netting a spectacular second goal as Maresca’s team triumphed 3-0 over Barcelona, who played with ten men, at Stamford Bridge.
Jules Koundé scored an unfortunate own goal in the 27th minute, and Ronald Araújo‘s reckless dismissal just before halftime left the La Liga champions a goal and a man down.
– Estêvão has Chelsea looking like a team that deserves the ‘world champions’ title
Ten minutes into the second half, Estêvão received a pass from Reece James on the right, skillfully maneuvered past Pau Cubarsí and Araújo, and unleashed a powerful shot into the net over goalkeeper Joan García.
With this goal, Estêvão became the third teenager in Champions League history to score in each of his first three matches, joining the ranks of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.
While the goal drew parallels to Messi’s peak days, Maresca aimed to separate Estêvão from such lofty comparisons, asserting that he and fellow 18-year-old Lamine Yamal need room to grow as players.
“Estêvão needs to take it easy. He should enjoy the game, participate in training sessions, and play football. Both he and Lamine are so young at just 18, and if we start drawing comparisons to Messi or Ronaldo, it could place too much pressure on them. They should come to training happy and ready to play,” Maresca said.
Estêvão has now scored five goals for Chelsea since his transfer from Palmeiras this summer; however, Tuesday’s goal may have held special significance for him.
“I can hardly express how I feel,” he stated. “Everything happened so fast. I found some space and made my way in. I hope to keep scoring for many more years to come.”
He continued, “It truly was the perfect night. That goal was a special moment in my career. Since I arrived, I have felt a strong connection with the fans. I’m so delighted to score for them and bring them joy.”
Substitute Liam Delap added a final goal in the 73rd minute, securing Chelsea’s position in fifth place, while last season’s semifinalists Barcelona fell to 15th.
Chelsea’s next challenge is against Premier League leaders Arsenal at home on Sunday, where they could narrow the gap at the top to just three points.
Maresca added, “It felt great to win at home in front of our fans. It’s wonderful to share moments like this. However, my message to the players was clear: take the next 48 hours to recover your energy because we have Arsenal on Sunday.”
“The most important thing right now is to regain our energy, and from Friday, we can shift our focus to Arsenal.”
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.