Youth & Reserves

In the second of our three-part academy season preview, we take a look at the 21 other clubs who have achieved Category One status under the Elite Player Performance Plan and are therefore set to face Chelsea at Under-21 and Under-18 levels this year. Arsenal A welcome return to the fixture list after a season without a game against the Gunners, it’s been an interesting couple of years at the…

A regular criticism of youth football in England is that teams simply don’t play enough games in order to develop sufficiently. In 2013-14, Chelsea will not be able to call upon that excuse as their Under-21s and Under-19s will take part in a combined six domestic and European competitions; an almost unprecedented tally in modern times. Dermot Drummy will lead his boys in the Barclays Under-21 League as well as…

Chelsea’s stars of tomorrow will once again be playing regular football at Aldershot’s Recreation Ground after the troubled non-league club announced a two-year agreement on Thursday morning. A statement on the Shots’ official website regarding a change of ownership included details of their new affiliation with the Blues: The club also confirms a two-year agreement with Chelsea Football Club whereby a significant number of Chelsea’s academy and reserve matches will…

Both Chelsea’s Under-21 and Under-18 teams were in action on Saturday, and both squads continued their excellent pre-season plans to date by remaining unbeaten and picking up a pair of wins. The Under-21s made the long trip to North Wales to take on Colwyn Bay, who are managed by former Chelsea defender and current Chelsea TV analyst Frank Sinclair and his team. Dermot Drummy made a handful of changes to…

It’s not unusual to see talented young footballers play above their age group at academy level. Chelsea have done it for years – most clubs do – in a bid to challenge the player by exposing him to a higher level of competition, rather than allow him to potentially stagnate against those he’s already proven himself better than. You typically see it up to and including Under-18 level, where a…

Chelsea’s Under-18 schedule for the 2013-14 season was confirmed on Wednesday morning, with a new-look 31-game fixture list ahead for Adi Viveash’s group. In the latest reshuffle by the Premier League, the nation’s 22 Category One academies have been split North and South into two equal divisions of eleven. Teams will play everyone in their group both home and away, and then play each of the other teams in the…

Chelsea’s Under-21s continued their unbeaten pre-season to date with a comfortable win over Sutton United on Tuesday night. Dermot Drummy continued to rotate his squad with a fortnight or so left until the league season gets underway and used a total of 21 players on a warm evening at Gander Green Lane. Alex Kiwomya opened the scoring shortly before half time, whilst the lead was doubled around the hour mark…

Cristian Cuevas, the Chilean Under-20 international winger, has today completed his move from O’Higgins to Chelsea. The 18 year-old officially signed his Blues contract this afternoon, having agreed to join the club way back at the start of 2013 following a successful winter trial period. Capable of playing anywhere on the left side of the pitch, he is arguably most adept in an attacking role and possesses great pace and…

Chelsea’s Under-21 team will begin their 2013-14 Barclays Under-21 Premier League campaign at home to Tottenham Hotspur. Dermot Drummy’s boys will host Spurs on Friday 9th August at Aldershot’s Recreation Ground in the first game of a new-look league featuring 22 Category One clubs. The teams will each face off ONCE, either home or away, with the top four at the end of the season taking part in an end-of-season…