26 January 2056 – Drogba Arena, London
On a cold European night beneath the floodlights of the Drogba Arena, Chelsea delivered a performance of such command that even the ghosts of European royalty might have nodded in approval. A 4–0 dismantling of Nottingham Forest extended Călin Dimario’s continental procession, and reminded the continent why the Blues now exist on a higher plane.
The tone was set early. César Schwindt thundered Chelsea ahead after just eight minutes, a strike that seemed to jolt Forest into fearful retreat. Within ten more minutes, Júnior — the Brazilian flame at the heart of Dimario’s design — doubled the lead with a predatory finish, then added another scarcely sixty seconds later with a volley kissed off the post. The VAR delay that followed was little more than an intermission before the inevitable: 3–0 after 18 minutes, and Drogba Arena humming.
Pelé completed the rout midway through the first half with a low drive, precise and inevitable, while Hilgers and Haigh orchestrated every rhythm in midfield with the patience of maestros. From that point, Chelsea merely toyed with their visitors — twenty shots, eleven on target, and possession that felt permanent.
Júnior’s display was something beyond dominance: 9.2 rating, two goals, one assist, and a performance gilded by elegance. Every touch felt like punctuation to a symphony, every sprint a flourish of intent. Dimario smiled afterwards, the expression of a man who has seen his grand design realised yet again.
Chelsea now top the UEFA Champions League league phase with a perfect record — eight wins from eight, twenty-four points, and a goal difference that feels almost mythical. Europe, it seems, will have to wait for someone — anyone — capable of stopping them.
By Henry Vinter