Youth & Reserves

It’s been relatively inevitable for a while now, but Chelsea’s assortment of players out on loan – currently 31 – have hit a particularly big milestone this evening. Patrick Bamford’s goal inside of one minute for Derby County against Ipswich Town was the 100th goal scored by a young Blue playing for another club during the 2013-14 season. It was perhaps appropriate that the England Under-21 hitman grabbed the goal…

Chelsea’s Under-18s turned in an impressive performance that lacked only in goals as their West London derby away to Fulham on Tuesday evening ended 0-0. Despite giving up plenty in both age and experience against a Fulham team featuring six of their FA Youth Cup team, the young Blues enjoyed much the better of the rare academy game under floodlights and limited their hosts to just one chance of note,…

Chelsea’s Under-18s re-found their winning vibe at home on Saturday morning with a thoroughly deserved 2-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion at Cobham. Goals in each half from England youth internationals Charlie Colkett and Fankaty Dabo secured three points for Adi Viveash’s boys in a game they dominated from start to finish; a fine way to bounce back after recent reverses to Leicester and Fulham on their own patch. As…

Chelsea’s Under-21s were held to a 0-0 draw away to Manchester United in a clash between two teams at the business end of the Barclays Under-21 League table on Friday night. They controlled large portions of the match and fashioned by far the better of the chances but were unable to take them and were held to a first nil-nil draw since a trip to Everton last April. One particular…

Following the career of a young prospect is an interesting proposition; one that can often be formulaic, predictable, and full of hyperbole. It doesn’t take much for a kid to explode onto the scene with a dazzling display of exuberance – perhaps on a big stage like the FA Youth Cup – and find himself the subject of a great deal of hype and consternation in the hours and days…

Chelsea’s love affair with the FA Youth Cup continues unabated as another cracker of a tie saw them best Newcastle United 3-2 in a tense Quarter Final affair fraught with controversy, confrontation and drama. The Blues went ahead through Dominic Solanke’s eighteenth goal of the season but they found themselves behind at the break – and for the first time in the competition this season – as Olivier Kemen’s dubious…

Chelsea continued their recent run of good form at Under-21 level with a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough at Aldershot on Saturday. The Blues may have had a weather-affected February but many of the group took part in the emphatic win over Milan in the UEFA Youth League and came into the match in good form. Isak Ssewankambo scored the only goal of the match with an hour on the clock…