Chelsea’s unbeaten season at Under-18 level came to an end on Wednesday after a pulsating lunchtime fixture away to West London neighbours Fulham. Goals from Moussa Dembele and Muamer Tankovic proved enough for Fulham to become the first team to take maximum points from the Blues this season, but Connor Hunte’s strike in response sparked a fight back which was so nearly completed on a number of occasions. With local…
Nathaniel Chalobah celebrated his 18th birthday this past week and did so in style as he grabbed his second goal of the season for Watford. He headlines the latest edition of the Loan Report. The England Under-21 international hasn’t been in the best of form lately with some shaky and sloppy performances, but it was always prudent to remember his tender age and overall excellence throughout the season. He offered…
The first half of the Under-18 season in England may have wound down in the final weeks before Christmas, but Chelsea’s youngsters have found time for three matches in seven days to end a highly successful calendar year and to look forward to an even better 2013. Friendly draws against Cardiff City and Ipswich Town book-ended the week, with a goalless stalemate against Ajax in the Next Generation Series sandwiched…
It was a rare quiet week on the loan front for Chelsea’s youngsters, with no goalscorers for only the third occasion this season and only a smattering of assists. Nonetheless, there’s plenty to talk about, so let’s dive right in and head to the Netherlands. Vitesse Arnhem have been the revelations of the Eredivisie season to date as the Gelderlanders have mounted an unlikely title challenge. Their trio of Blues…
Chelsea’s Under-21 team went into Monday night’s Barclays Under-21 Premier League schedule with their eyes set firmly on a place in the Elite Group Stage after Christmas. They held up their end of the bargain in beating Middlesbrough 3-2, but events elsewhere conspired against them as Wolves beat Manchester City 2-1 to take second place and leave the Blues hoping for even more help if they are to make it…
An impressive season of productivity from Chelsea’s loanees continued this week with a sixth goal of the campaign for Romelu Lukaku. There was a double helping of domestic action in England this week and Lukaku began it with a bang, scoring for West Brom in a surprise defeat away to Swansea City. His goal proved to be little more than a consolation, but he took it well enough, reacting quickly…
Chelsea began the defence of their FA Youth Cup crown on Saturday afternoon with an entertaining, if sometimes ragged, win away to Colchester United. Islam Feruz’s early opener was followed by a Lewis Baker double, and that proved enough to secure a 3-2 win. The margin of victory might have been greater if not for some poor finishing, but just as equally, they were made to work very hard for…
Chelsea’s defence of the FA Youth Cup begins this Saturday lunchtime away to Colchester United, and the Blues enter this year’s competition with perhaps more expectation on them to succeed than ever before. Not only are the Blues the current holders, but they also come into the fixture as the only unbeaten team in Professional Development League Under-18 football, with nine wins and two draws from their eleven fixtures so…
In a week where four more Chelsea youngsters headed out on loan, it was one of the new faces who impressed most. Patrick Bamford had a helpful debut for Milton Keynes Dons, racking up a couple of assists, whilst fellow left-footed forward Romelu Lukaku also made the headlines in grabbing his fourth goal of the season. Lukaku had an eventful and exciting twenty-minute cameo performance in front of the Sky…
On the final day of transfer activity for English football league clubs until the new year, three Chelsea youngsters departed on lower league loans, whilst a fourth will spend the rest of his season back at home overseas. Conor Clifford has joined League One outfit Crawley Town, his second spell in the division after a month at Portsmouth earlier this season, whilst Todd Kane and Patrick Bamford join him in…