La Liga 2017/18: FC Barcelona 5-0 Espanyol, 5 Talking Points

Goals: Lionel Messi 26', 35', 67'; Pique 87'; Suarez 90'

Ernesto Valverde's men thrashed their Catalan rivals, Espanyol 5-0 at the Camp Nou to make a statement in their bid to reclaim the La Liga crown. Espanyol were second best right from the beginning with Barcelona looking calm and assured while going forward.

Leo Messi scored his first close to the half hour mark, albeit it was an offside goal that the replays suggested. Nonetheless, it was a stunning finish. He made it two soon after some smart play from Jordi Alba enabled him to score from point blank range.

Messi then scored his third goal in the second half with a neat finish to put the game to bed. Gerrard Pique made it four and Luis Suarez put the cherry on the top by making it five in stoppage time.

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid dropped crucial points last night which made Barcelona's victory even sweeter. On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points from a five-star performance from FC Barcelona:

#1 Lionel Messi - The Boss

"Why stress? We have Messi", read one banner at the Camp Nou. There would not be an apt description of the Argentine's importance on this club than that quoted line! The club suffering a dismal transfer window, the boardroom tussle escalating, a crucial player leaving made it look like the club was in crisis.

But as has been the case for the past decade, whenever the club has had problems one man has stepped up time and again to lift the club out of their misery and bring the glory days back.

Lionel Messi was at it yet again last night with Espanyol facing the wrath of the genius. Three smart finishes, three goals and three points has once again elevated the mood at the club. This was Messi's 42nd career hat-trick and the latest treble made it 18 goals against Espanyol; the top scorer in the history of this fixture. This performance also once again brought up the fact about Messi being the real boss at the club!

#2 Ousmane Dembele's homecoming

Dembele made his much-awaited debut

Amidst all the disappointment in the transfer market for the club, one signing made the loss of Neymar slightly bearable. The arrival of Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund at a record price was seen as a brilliant move by the Catalans. The 20-year-old was signed as a direct replacement for the Brazilian and chose his squad number (11) as well. Espanyol provided the new signing with his first opportunity to make a mark at his new home.

Though Valverde had a temptation to give Dembele a start, he was on the bench when the starting lineup was announced. He received a huge cheer when he began his warm up, then received an even bigger ovation when he substituted Gerard Deulofeu in the 66th minute.

The game was already won when Dembele got on to the pitch with the scoreline reading 3-0. The Frenchman made just 15 touches in his first appearance for the club but topped it up with an assist for Luis Suarez in the dying stages of the game. All in all, a good start to life in Spain for Dembele!

#3 Another season in the dark looming for Espanyol

Espanyol were run ragged by the Catalans

With just a point on board with three games played, the second biggest club from Barcelona has struggled to start the season on a positive note. It was not a good summer for them as well with the club failing to make any inspired buys throughout the course of the transfer period. The club had to be content with bringing former players like Sergi Darder and Sergi Garcia back to the club.

Espanyol started the Catalan derby well with their pressing game troubling Barcelona to create effective chances. But as soon as the press fizzled out so did the intent from the players.

A defeat against a team of Barcelona's stature cannot be criticised but the manner in which Espanyol lost will raise questions about the players and the manager. Looking at their start to this season, it seems like mid-table is where Espanyol will dwell in for most of the season.

#4 Gerard Deulofeu making his presence felt

There will be a fight between these two for a starting spot

Starting on the right, Gerard Deulofeu gave a strong performance and with it, a warning to Ousmane Dembele that his place in the side will not be a certainty. The former Everton forward provided an assist for Messi's third goal and was constantly a threat to the Espanyol left back.

Deulofeu knew when to keep it simple and when to take risks which took his performance to the next level. Suited perfectly to Valverde's philosophy at the club, Deulofeu's strong start to the season has proved that he will be a crucial player for the club in this season.

Though Dembele might take his place soon, Barcelona can rest assured that they will have a strong backup on the bench, unlike the previous season where the trio of MSN had to do it all on their own.

#5 Jordi Alba showing his old form

Jordi Alba is back to his best!

With Neymar in the side, Jordi Alba could not always play his natural game of overlapping on the left and creating chances. With the Brazilian seldom backtracking, Alba had to manage his defensive duties along with that of the now PSG talisman. But with him gone, the left-back now has the license to bomb forward and most importantly, play his natural game.

Barcelona played in a confusing formation against Espanyol with Luis Suarez being employed in a left wing/striker's position and Messi in a free roaming role. This gave Alba the license to operate more freely which prompted him to provide two assists to Lionel Messi.

He also created a couple of chances for Luis Suarez but the Uruguayan had a shocking day in front of the goal despite getting on the score sheet. One of the positives from Neymar's departure can be said as the re-emergence of Alba's previous attacking influence.