The Loan Report: April 15-22

April 22, 2019

The Easter weekend is often a defining time in the season, with the finish line in sight for many teams, and the spread of fixture scheduling bringing unfamiliar challenges to those with plenty to play for. Plenty of Chelsea players out on loan saw their fortunes affected as the pressure rises, and nowhere is it ever more the case than in the Championship. Headliners Tammy Abraham’s Aston Villa are surging…

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Development Squad: Chelsea 1-3 Arsenal

April 15, 2019

A year ago this week, Chelsea’s Development Squad suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur in a performance that did not augur well ahead of preparations for their trip to Switzerland for the UEFA Youth League Finals weekend. Then, having scraped past FC Porto on penalties and after an 87th-minute equaliser, they were taken apart by Barcelona in the Final, and were left to rue their poor form…

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The Loan Report: April 8-14

April 14, 2019

On a weekend dominated by Championship performers, it was Mason Mount who took home the most plaudits, and that took some doing as Chelsea’s best and brightest youngsters pressed their claims for greater consideration at Stamford Bridge next season. Headliners It wasn’t the best start to the week for Derby County after they suffered defeat away to Blackburn on Tuesday, and put in a poor performance to go along with…

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Under-18s: Chelsea 4-3 Fulham

April 13, 2019

Fortress Cobham hasn’t quite been as impenetrable this season as in previous campaigns, but Chelsea signed off their home schedule for 2018-19 with a 4-3 win over Fulham that was more impressive than the final scoreline suggested, and ensured that they will finish third behind Arsenal and Tottenham in the Under-18 Premier League South table. In a wide-open contest that encouraged both teams to attack, the score could easily have…

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Under-18s: Chelsea 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur

April 10, 2019

For a season at least, Chelsea have had to surrender their title as the undisputed Kings of the Under-18 Premier League South. Whether it’s Arsenal or Tottenham who official dethrone them at the end of the month, it will be entirely on merit, as Spurs showed with a battling but ultimately comfortable 2-0 win at Cobham on Wednesday lunchtime. Follow Dan Davies for photos from the match. The North London…

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The Loan Report: April 1-7

April 7, 2019

It’s Reece James’ world, we’re all just living in it. He wasn’t the only Chelsea loanee to score this week, but he did steal all the weekend headlines, so it’s only right to start with him. Headliners Having won almost all of Wigan’s player of the month awards, earned a Championship Team of the Season spot, and been almost unplayable at right-back and in midfield, it’s been quite a season…

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Day Of Disappointment For Academy Teams

April 6, 2019

It was a day of frustrations for Chelsea’s academy teams, in a season that has felt like one long ‘what could have been’, in domestic competition at least. Andy Myers’ Under-18s twice fought back from losing positions to draw at home to West Ham, while Joe Edwards’ Development Squad went 2-0 up away to Liverpool inside half an hour, only to succumb to a late 3-2 defeat. With just five…

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UEFA Youth League: Chelsea 2-2 GNK Dinamo (Chelsea win 4-2 on penalties)

April 3, 2019

The UEFA Youth League never fails to bring out the best of Chelsea, and although their Quarter Final victory over Dinamo Zagreb featured plenty of bad, all the hallmarks of their successful history in the competition were front and centre when it mattered most. Two-nil down with an hour played. Staring defeat in the face with fifteen minutes left. Even after captain Luke McCormick hauled them back into it, the…

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The Loan Report: March 26-31

March 31, 2019

While many of Chelsea’s players continue to disappoint, several of those out on loan keep on doing things that lend volume to their cause of hopefully one day featuring in the Blues’ first team, again in some cases. With five different players scoring since the end of the international break, there are no shortage of contenders. Headliners Our first two goalscorers come from the Championship, but in both cases, the…

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Under-18s: Norwich City 0-0 Chelsea

March 30, 2019

It’s extremely rare for Chelsea’s Under-18s to have nothing to play for at this time of year but, without a league title or an FA Youth Cup at stake for the first time in five years, they travelled to Norwich for Saturday’s league fixture with an unfamiliar feel about proceedings. The done thing in this situation is to begin taking a longer look at those players who are likely to…

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