Chelsea rolled back the years with an imperious Champions League performance on Tuesday, sweeping aside a toothless Barcelona 3-0 to take a hefty step towards securing an automatic qualifying place and leaving the Spaniards fighting to avoid a playoff, Reuters reported.

After an early own goal and a red card for Barcelona’s captain Ronald Araujo at the end of the first half, teenager Estevao smashed in a fabulous second and Liam Delap got the third, and the Londoners also had three goals ruled out.

"It is a huge night for Estevao, a huge night for the whole club," said Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca. "Winning the Club World Cup has been important for the players in terms of confidence, they realise they can win against any team. A winning mentality is the only way to build something important, according to Reuters.