Chelsea Youth Team Win FA Cup for Fourth Time
By thrashing Manchester City in front of 5,000 strong crowd at Stamford Bridge
Added to a 1-1 draw in the first leg at City's Etihad Campus academy stadium, that gave an overall result of 6-2 to the Blues.
It is the third final in succession where Chelsea have beaten Manchester City, and represents the longest period of domination by one side in the FA Youth Cup since Manchester United's young Busby Babes won five-in-a-row in the 1950s.
The majority of the players are from the local area, nurtured from an early age.
Team coach Jody Morris, Hammersmith-born and a product of the Chelsea academy himself in the 1990s, was full of praise for his side.
“I would back them at the highest level,” he said. “I’m lucky enough to see them every day, but we’ve definitely got players here that can go to the top.”
Chelsea had a dream start, when Trevoh Chalobah opened the scoring in the seventh minute.
The Sierra Leone-born defender is brother of first teamer Nathaniel, and has been on Chelsea's books since U9 level.
An audacious second was added by Londoner Ike Ugbo, whose overhead kick with his back to goal stunned the crowd.
City pulled one back after the beak, through Lukas Nmecha, before Blues ran riot with three second half goals.
Callum Hudson-Odoi, just 16 and one of the most highly rated talents in the squad, made it 3-1 on the night.
Also a Londoner, he is another to have trained with Chelsea since U9s level – the youngest age of registration.
London-born Dujon Sterling added a fourth; while substitute Cole Dasilva, who was signed from Luton at U12 level along with his two brothers, netted three minutes from time.
Four of the five goalscorers are England junior internationals, with Dasilva now featuring for Wales' U19s.
Previous graduates of Chelsea FA Youth Cup sides have included Nathan Ake, who starred for the Blues' first team in the senior FA Cup semi final at Wembley.
The FA Youth Cup final was watched by a Stamford Bridge crowd of 5,000 - including first team boss Antonio Conte.
May 5, 2017