Spanish-Moroccan winger Lamine Yamal mocked by Robert Sanchez after Chelsea stun Barcelona

Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez has taken a swipe at Lamine Yamal following the Blues’ emphatic 3-0 Champions League victory over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge, openly suggesting the teenager struggled to impose himself during the game.

The Spanish-Moroccan winger was one of several high-profile attackers kept quiet on a tough night for Barcelona, who failed to break down a disciplined Chelsea side.

The Blues outplayed their visitors from the outset, leaving Yamal with little room to influence proceedings in a contest where his African lineage continues to be a point of growing pride for fans in Morocco.

Chelsea secured the win through an early own goal by Jules Kounde, followed by composed finishes from Estevao and Liam Delap.

Despite Barcelona fielding Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Yamal, Chelsea controlled the pace and physicality, unsettling their opponents throughout.

Speaking after the match, Sanchez said Marc Cucurella handled Yamal with ease and suggested the Premier League often exposes players who thrive elsewhere.

“He had him in his pocket,” Sanchez told the Spanish media.

“Everyone is great until they come to the Premier League.

“The red card gave us a slight advantage, but we dominated the game from the first minute. We scored a lot of goals, three of them offside, and I’m very happy with the victory.

“I know the quality we have, we know how they played, we’ve faced them and won head-to-head. In matches against top opponents, we always rise to the occasion. We’re a team that always rises to the occasion in big moments, and we’ve done it once again. It’s just another game.”

Cucurella later praised Chelsea’s collective application, noting that the team’s clarity in execution allowed individuals to shine.

“The game plan was really clear. We executed it really well so it wasn’t just about my performance, my team-mates helped out a lot. They always try to give me help, football is a game of 11 players against 11 players. We all try to do our best for the team and for the win.

“I’m feeling very proud personally. As a footballer, we have our ups and downs but the most important thing is staying consistent, trying to always improve and remembering that you have sacrificed a lot of things. After performances like this, everything makes sense.

“It’s amazing. Over the last couple of games, we have improved a bit in defence and started to get some clean sheets. The team has gained some confidence from that and we need to continue in this way now.”