Two members of the Loan Army who are unlikely to ever actually return to play for Chelsea scored this week but, nevertheless, they’re deserving of this week’s headlines. Headliners Lucas Piazon has had another frustrating in what, in all honesty, must be a fairly frustrating career so far. 2020 has been kinder though and, after scoring in the league for Rio Ave last weekend, he netted a free kick away…
Unbeaten and top of the table heading into the new year, January hasn’t quite been the same for Chelsea’s Under-18s and, after a 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday lunchtime left them without a win in three league matches, there’s work to do in pursuit of the title. How exactly they contrived to lose this topsy-turvy match they’ll never know. Twice they were ahead, early in each half courtesy…
It was a Saturday of mixed fortunes for Chelsea’s academy teams as the Development Squad beat Manchester City at Aldershot to remain both unbeaten and top of the table, but the Under-18s suffered their first defeat of the campaign as they went down 2-1 in a hard-fought contest away to West Ham. Despite taking an early lead through George Nunn, Ed Brand’s youngsters were some way short of their best…
A classic it wasn’t, but Chelsea won’t care. Armando Broja’s 82nd-minute thunderbolt sent the Blues back to the top of the Premier League 2 table with a 1-0 win away to Tottenham Hotspur, where they remain unbeaten after 13 of 22 matches, and are most certainly in title contention. Having showed the spirit and resolve to come from behind to avoid defeat in each of their previous three league outings…
The Loan Army is still affected by the European winter break, but players are returning, both to action and to Chelsea as the January transfer window opens. Headliners Our headliners this week concern those players who are now back at Cobham after seeing their loans come to a premature end, and also those who are set to. Jacob Maddox and Luke McCormick both came home after struggling with League One…
There is no argument about it; Chelsea have been the most successful club in England at academy level over the past decade. Seven FA Youth Cups, two UEFA Youth League titles, domestic league wins at Under-18 and Under-21 level and a remarkable domination of just about every junior age-group tournament you care to name. With thirty first-team graduates on top of the cake, it’s been an historic ten years and,…
The final Loan Report of 2019 is an abridged one, due to much of Europe still being on a winter hiatus, but there’s still stuff to check up on. England Premier League Danny Drinkwater’s time at Burnley likely came to an end with a pair of matches spent on the substitutes’ bench. His loan at Turf Moor is unlikely to be extended, so the hunt is on for a new…
You can’t keep Mario Pašalić down, as he ably demonstrated again this week, with a goal and an assist to take the Loan Army into Christmas. Headliners Pašalić has arguably been the player of the Loan Army season to date, considering his level of performance for a genuinely good Atalanta team. Having booked their place in the Champions League knockout rounds last week, they were back on top in Serie…
A record-breaking run is only properly committed to the history books when it ends and so, a year on from Chelsea’s FA Youth Cup Third Round exit at the hands of Manchester United, their historic five-year reign as winners of the country’s most prestigious youth-age competition, there has been plenty of time to reflect on just how incredible a streak it was. It equaled United’s own five-year campaign of excellence…
UEFA competition came up big for the Loan Army this week, as both Mario Pašalić and Kenedy found the back of the net. Headliners Pašalić has been especially impressive this season for an Atalanta team that are fast becoming many people’s darlings. Their 3-0 win at Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday, a match in which he scored the second goal, saw them make Champions League history in becoming the first team…