Chelsea remain unbeaten in Elite Under-18 competition after coming back from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw at home to Manchester United on Saturday. Both teams qualified for the top eight in impressive fashion and so it was always likely to be a high-quality clash. Despite freezing cold weather, fierce winds and a bog of a pitch the two sides put on a good show and although Jack…
Chelsea’s Under-19 team secured safe passage through to the knockout stages of the 2012-13 NextGen Series with an Islam Feruz-inspired 3-3 draw away to Ajax Amsterdam on Tuesday evening. In what was by far their most impressive result in the competition so far, Alex Kiwomya gave the youngsters an early lead but it was immediately cancelled out by a Jordi Bitter strike. Feruz then took over with two strikes either…
It’s approaching that time of the year where clubs are working to formalise their youth team intake for next season. Part of that process is considering which overseas imports are of requisite quality and potential to add to the home-grown crop, and Chelsea have been active on that front throughout the season. News has emerged this week that Swedish defender Ali Suljic will join up with the FA Youth Cup…
Chelsea’s trio of loanees at Vitesse Arnhem headline this week’s Loan Report as they helped their temporary club to a dramatic 3-2 victory over Ajax on Sunday afternoon. Tomas Kalas, Patrick van Aanholt and Gael Kakuta all started in the top-of-the-table clash and played the full duration of a match which was essentially a must-win fixture for Fred Rutten’s men if they were to maintain chances of a title chase…
Chelsea’s Under-21s continued their fine spate of recent form with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Middlesbrough at Stamford Bridge on Friday night. In a topsy-turvy game with multiple lead changes, Scottish forward Islam Feruz proved decisive with a brace for Dermot Drummy’s side, whilst Lewis Baker converted a penalty in between. Boro had taken the lead through Ryan Brobbel and levelled later when Luke Williams struck but despite probably deserving…
At one point or another during the 2012-13 season, Chelsea have had 32 players playing away from Stamford Bridge on loan. Some are first-team players who have had to find their football elsewhere, and some are aspiring young professionals who don’t necessarily meet the work permit criteria to play in England, but the vast majority of them are young prospects with the potential to develop into very good players somewhere…
After a few weeks of a Romelu Lukaku dominated, winter break affected Loan Report, everybody was back in action this weekend across Europe, allowing someone else to take centre stage. Gael Kakuta’s first goal of the season may have come in a heavy loss for Vitesse Arnhem, but it represents the sort of progress he’s been making in the Netherlands this season and is a sign of continued positivity for…
Chelsea produced another stunning FA Youth Cup performance to add to their scrapbook on Monday night as they defeated Charlton in Round Four of this year’s competition. Having faced a two-goal deficit at half time, the young Blues might have appeared to many to be losing their grip on the trophy they won last April, but seasoned veterans know better than to write these boys off. Second half strikes from…
Romelu Lukaku has headlined many a Loan Report so far this season, but this week he’s way out on his own as the outstanding performer of the last seven days. The big Belgian forward was almost unplayable this weekend as West Brom travelled to Reading, and although the hosts pulled off a miraculous turnaround in the final ten minutes to take a 3-2 victory, it was all about Lukaku. He…
2012 was quite a year for the Chelsea FC academy. FA Youth Cup winners for the second time in three seasons back in May, the club then achieved Category One status in the new Elite Player Performance Plan, and have been leading the way in the 2012-13 Premier Academy League season ever since. Nine wins, two draws and just one defeat – away to Fulham in mid-December – secured their…