The current round of international fixtures has arrived at what is roughly the quarter point of the season so far. It therefore gives us a good opportunity to take stock of things on the loan front where, as has become customary now, another thirty-something Chelsea youngsters are out plying their respective trades in alternative colours. Vitesse No club has more Blues youngsters than Vitesse’s five and things have generally gone…
Under-18s: Chelsea 5-0 Swansea City
Chelsea remain top of the Barclays Under-18 Premier League after a resounding 5-0 victory over Swansea City at Cobham on Saturday. The gulf in class between the Blues and the Category One newcomers was clear throughout and goals from Mukhtar Ali, Isaac Christie-Davies, two from Jacob Maddox and a first at this level for Malakai Hinckson-Mars ensured a suitably comprehensive final score, and it could easily have been more. Swansea…
The Loan Report: September 28 – October 4
The goals have been flying in left, right and centre on the loan front in recent weeks and there was no let-up over the past seven days either. We have three more to bring you to kick off the latest Loan Report, beginning with a first-ever senior strike for Jordan Houghton. Headliners The 19 year-old midfielder joined League One side Gillingham in August on a deal initially expected to last…
Under-18s: Tottenham Hotspur 3-4 Chelsea
Chelsea and Tottenham shared twenty-seven goals in five meetings at Under-18 level last season and, on Saturday morning at Hotspur Way, there was more of the same as the Blues edged a seven-goal thriller. Mukhtar Ali opened the scoring but strikes either side of half time by Ryan Loft and Charlie Owens turned the contest in the hosts’ favour. Chelsea responded well though, equalising through Isaac Christie-Davies before Ali and…
The Loan Report: September 21-27
Business is beginning to pick up on the Loan Report front as, after two goals last weekend, we have four to bring you this time around. Headliners We start with Mohamed Salah, who has scored in three successive Roma fixtures, carrying straight on from where he finished last season with Fiorentina. After notching a nifty volley at home to Sassuolo last weekend, he produced a smart finish in a 2-1…
Under-21s: Chelsea 3-3 Reading
At the end of the summer transfer window Charly Musonda, who had been expected to go out on loan only for a number of factors to ultimately go against him, told the Belgian press of a positive discussion with Jose Mourinho in which he came away with the impression that there would be some first team minutes for him this season. At the end of a week in which the…
The Loan Report: September 14-20
It’s a far busier Loan Report this weekend after a damp squib last time out with two wingers, each harbouring ambitions of returning to Stamford Bridge for another crack at the Chelsea first team squad, grabbing their first goals of the season. There were also assists for two of the five Blues in Arnhem but we begin with Victor Moses. Headliners Moses caught the eye with an impressive West Ham…
Under-18s: West Ham United 2-0 Chelsea
Chelsea’s Under-18s surrendered their unbeaten start to the 2015-16 season on Saturday morning as they went down to a 2-0 defeat away to West Ham United. In many ways the result demonstrated the unpredictable week-to-week proposition that is academy football as, although the Hammers had get to win themselves coming into the fixture, first-half goals from Declan Rice and Idris Kanu proved enough to get them off and running whilst…
The Loan Report: September 7-13
The first Loan Report after the international break is a very quiet affair with little of note to discuss over the past seven days. Somehow that’s possible with 33 loanees to cover, but here we go anyway. England Patrick Bamford, Nathan Aké and Christian Atsu were all left out of their respective matchday squads this weekend and, indeed, Bamford is the only one to see any Premier League action so…
Under-18s: Leicester City 2-3 Chelsea
With the first team toiling away at Everton, Chelsea’s Under-18s were embroiled in their own tricky lunchtime fixture away from home in the form of a trip to Leicester. Like the young Blues, the Foxes have started the season well and were twice ahead in this topsy-turvy encounter courtesy of goals from Harvey Barnes and Admiral Muskwe. This, however, is a Chelsea side that does not lose easily and after…