UEFA Champions League: The best performers from match day 2

#3 Arthur Melo

Xavi-Esque: Arthur Melo

One word, elegant. Arthur Melo was signed by Barcelona from Gremio last season. He was to arrive in December this year but Eric Abidal wanted him in the summer itself. Arthur displayed some brilliant performances in the pre-season tour but was until the Spurs game, a bench player. Arthur, who is completely unproven, even in the league, felt at home in Wembley. His sleek moves, his sideway passes, his build-up plays, everything reminds of certain former Barcelona player. While his skills represent those of Barcelona’s former no 6, he is doing complete justice to the number on his back, that he inherited from Andres Iniesta.

Arthur’s brilliance cannot be displayed by numbers and neither some moments. Arthur displayed incredible game awareness, that a controlling midfielder needs, and it felt like he has been at Barcelona for years. Arthur is so resistant to pressing, something that people relate with Busquets. Son and Wanyama tried to press him together, to no good effect. He passed and moved back right for the return pass, sleek adjustment.

He was so good at moving away from players and finding the open man. Lucas Moura on one occasion tried to bring him down, but he succeeded only in fouling him. No matter how much pressure, the ball won’t come out of Arthur’s feet. He resisted went in one direction, turned to other and turned again to the first direction. Wanyama pressed him, he turned right into Son, but pulled the ball towards his back and turned away from both.

It was Arthur’s pass to Messi and his forward move which allowed the split second defensive lapse, during which Messi passed to Alba. Whoever tried, Winks, Moura, Lamela, Son, Wanyama, even Harry Kane, no one got the ball clean off Arthur. It is just amazing for a 22-year-old, to perform in Europe like this during the debut start. Arthur has to be trusted with more starts, he is brilliant. Barcelona invested in the right man, even though unproven.

If you just watched Melo’s feet and his moves without watching the face, you would mistake him for a legend. Arthur is just a young version of Xavi Hernandez. It was tough to separate Arthur and Alba, both share the third place among the match day’s best players.