Youth is not wasted on Chelsea.
It’s why they won the Club World Cup.
It’s why they are not letting the effort expended on doing so spoil their season.
And why, instead of moaning about having to play Barcelona and Arsenal within five days, these blockbusters could be the making of them.
They could not have handled the first big test any better.
Making Barcelona look ordinary is not something many teams do.
But after watching the Gunners overcome Bayern Munich the following night, the Blues will know a further step up in class will be needed against the EPL leaders.
The game kicks off at Stamford Bridge on Sunday (00.30am Monday in Malaysia).
Still, they were a joy to watch against Barcelona and could have had six!
They had the ball in the net six times, with three marginal off-sides keeping the score a little more respectable for the visitors.
But it was a thrashing, even allowing for Barca being down to 10 men for most of the match.
Chelsea had far too much for the Catalans in every department, but it was not just depth that made the difference.
It was the fact that their 18-year-old superstar shone, whereas his Barcelona counterpart couldn’t get out of Marc Cucurella’s pocket.
Or was the full-back’s hair in his eyes?
Either way, Estevao Willian overshadowed Lamine Yamal enough to suggest there isn’t one Next Big Thing in the firmament, but two – and they aren’t that much different in size.
Yamal’s stellar performances for his club in last year’s Champions League and for Spain in the Euros, while still 17, earned him the runners-up spot in the Ballon d’Or.
The youngest player to finish in the top three, he’s making Cristiano Ronaldo (runner-up at 20 in 1996) and Lionel Messi (third at 20 in 2007) look like late developers.
In contrast, the first that the wider world knew of Estevao was when he scored a blinder for Palmeiras against Chelsea in the Club World Cup in July, having already agreed to join them.
But despite making that sensational impact, he has been brought on gradually by the Londoners, aware they’ve acquired someone who could make his £52 million fee look like larceny.
Hence, he has spent much of the season under the radar.
However, that cannonball finish to a mazy dribble for Chelsea’s second goal suggests the cotton wool has got to come off.
It was his seventh in his last seven games for club and country, so he’s making it difficult for Enzo Maresca to continue nursing him along.
So, it will be fascinating to see if he’s in the starting line-up to face the Gunners’ heavy artillery.
The fans will want him to start, as will Estevao’s family, whose first trip over from Brazil has been timed to perfection.
The only fly in the ointment is that he received attention from Chelsea’s medics before coming off in the 83rd minute.
But he was not limping and didn’t mention it in post-match interviews.
His presence would bring that X-factor that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta would fear. On paper, Arsenal, in-form and superbly organised, are favourites.
But Chelsea is one team that will not fear them.
They have this canny knack of upsetting the odds, of winning trophies, and are the one side in the EPL that can match Arsenal for depth.
They are younger, too, so are we now beginning to see method in owner Todd Boehly’s buying madness?
Under the astute, understated management of Maresca, a huge squad has been whittled down to a youthful, hungry core.
It can handle missing a pre-season, and now that the manic pre-Christmas fixtures are upon them, they approach them not with dread but with confidence.
And Estevao gives them another reason to believe.
As Edward Bulwer-Lytton put it, “talent (and a set-piece coach) can do what it can, but genius does what it must.”
They have also coped with barely a shrug without their erstwhile go-to man, Cole Palmer.
The England midfielder has been out longer than expected, first with a groin strain and then with a broken little toe, but is back in contention for the weekend.
He missed 13 matches, 10 of which Chelsea won, lost two and drew one, scoring 30 goals and conceding 10.
Looks like he has work to do to become an automatic starter for Chelsea as well as England.
But this Chelsea side, built around the best No.6 in the EPL in Moises Caicedo, the best left-back in Cucurella, and the most consistent winger in Pedro Neto, plus Palmer and Estevao looks pretty tasty.
It is why Blues’ fans can hardly wait for the weekend.
Victory over the Gunners would be the ultimate statement win. Dare it be asked, could it reignite the title race?
We know what happened to the last box of matches – Tinkerman Pep got his fingers burned with defeat at Newcastle.
And followed it with a shock home loss to Bayer Leverkusen. Different competition, but two defeats in a row mean that City are “ominous” no longer.
Chelsea will be hoping for a positive knock-on effect.
And if they were to win, they would just be three points behind the leaders. The race would just be starting.
But even if they don’t manage to beat the Gunners, they have auditioned one of the players likely to illuminate the next decade.
Pot calling the kettle, Harry!
In the build-up to his return to north London, Harry Kane claimed that the EPL was dull because of the number of set-piece goals. Fair enough from a former Spurs player to have a swipe at Arsenal, but he really should remember which league he is playing in. Bayern has won the Bundesliga 12 times in the last 13 seasons. That’s what we call dull, Harry.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.