"Everything Lamine Yamal does oozes quality. Even when he is strolling about looking dejected, which he did quite a bit at Stamford Bridge, he does it with the nonchalant grace of a star. He caresses the ball rather than kicking it, generating remarkable power from limited back-lift. He plays on the balls of his feet, always alert, always able to go either way. He glides rather than runs, but does so at speed. He has already finished as runner-up in the Ballon d'Or."
"Estevao's goal, scored after 55 minutes to absolutely seal a win that hadn't really been in doubt from the moment the Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo was sent off just before half-time, was a classic. In part, it was about Chelsea winning the ball back and Reece James's pass, but mainly it was about the Brazilian scurrying at terrifying speed, feinting left and right, brushing off Alejandro Balde and Pau Cubarsi and lashing a shot high past Joan Garcia."
"The chant of You're just a shit Estevao, directed at Lamine Yamal may have been exaggeratedly harsh on the Spaniard, and may not have scanned, but there was no doubting which of the two had come out on top. Estevao is 80 days older and has played 22 games fewer but at the moment he looks a more robust player and regular Premier League experience is only likely to amplify that."
Lamine Yamal displays exceptional technique, caressing the ball, generating power from limited back-lift, playing on the balls of his feet and moving with nonchalant grace and speed. Despite those qualities, he was not the best 18-year-old right-sided forward on the pitch on Tuesday. Chelsea's new signing Estevao, acquired from Palmeiras for a fee that could rise to 52m, has rapidly impressed, scoring in four consecutive starts and in Brazil's recent friendlies. Estevao's classic 55th-minute goal combined press recovery, Reece James's pass, explosive dribbling past Alejandro Balde and Pau Cubarsi, and a powerful finish past Joan Garcia. Physical robustness and Premier League experience favour Estevao's continued rise.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]