Under-18s report: Chelsea 6-2 Aston Villa

Hassan Sulaiman's youthful team grabbed our first Under-18 Premier League win impressively, beating Aston Villa 6-2 at Cobham. Five different players contributed to the scoreline with goals.

Chelsea's Under-18 team delivered a thrilling performance today, achieving their first league victory of the 2024/25 season against Aston Villa.

Although the visiting team went ahead early thanks to a goal from George Hemmings, we managed to equalize just before halftime with a brilliant header by Tayo Subuloye.

Following the restart, Chelsea returned with strong confidence and demonstrated their determination. Young player Ryan Kavuma-McQueen marked his debut goal for the U18s with an impressive two-goal performance.

Riding the wave of our recent success, Sol Gordon increased our lead with an impressive shot, consistently challenging the Aston Villa defense during the match.

Frankie Runham, well-acquainted with the Under-18 team, used the knowledge he gained from last season to deliver a strong shot that slipped past the opposing goalkeeper.

Despite Aston Villa's attempt to rally with a late score from Elijah Briscoe, Chelsea confirmed their superiority by netting a final sixth goal in the dying moments of the match, courtesy of substitute Yahya Idrissi.

We began the match in a relaxed and collected manner, dominating possession and applying early pressure on Aston Villa. Our first chance arose when Runham cleverly maneuvered past his defender, made his way into the penalty area, and noticed Leo Cardoso. He aimed for the goal, but a Villa defender managed to get in the way and block the shot.

Joseph Wheeler-Henry made great use of the wing, using his pace to challenge the Villa defender and find Gordon. Gordon managed to shake off his defender and took a shot at the goal, but unfortunately, the opposing team was able to block it once more.

Another nearly missed opportunity occurred when student Kavuma-McQueen gained possession of the ball in the penalty area. Nevertheless, the Villa defense proved difficult to overcome, successfully blocking our shot at scoring.

Falling Behind, But Still Strong

Even though we started strong, it was the other team that scored first. Just ten minutes into the game, Bradley Burrowes spotted Hemmings open in the box and he fired the ball into the top corner, out of Hudson Sands’ reach.

We reacted positively. Midfielder Landon Emenalo connected with Gordon, who demonstrated his determination by pushing forward, maneuvering into open space, and taking a powerful low shot at the goal. Unfortunately, the goalkeeper made a great save to block the attempt.

The young Blues kept pushing forward. Shortly afterward, Runham launched a strong long-range shot that just barely sailed over the bar, missing the target by a narrow margin.

Just a short time later, we witnessed an impressive goal-line clearance from Chelsea as Lewi Richards prevented Teddie Bloomfield from scoring again. Our young defender was quick on his feet, making a low sliding tackle to stop the shot.

As we neared the 30-minute point, Sands was called upon again. Max Jenner took a shot aimed at the goal, but Sands skillfully jumped and deflected the ball over the bar, keeping the score level.

Not long after, we once again put the Villa goalkeeper to the test. Cardoso, showcasing his nimble footwork, made his way into the box and unleashed a low right-footed shot aimed at the lower corner. But Owen Asemota was quick to respond, diving down to deflect the shot away.

As the first half came to an end, Chelsea managed to score a goal that seemed unavoidable due to our constant pressure. Cardoso sent a soaring cross into the penalty area, and Subuloye jumped above everyone else to head the ball into the top corner, allowing us to equalize just before halftime.

We started the second half on a strong note, quickly advancing up the field and putting our rivals on the back foot. It didn’t take long for our talented young player, Kavuma-McQueen, to score his first goal in Under-18 football with a superb low shot that the Villa goalkeeper couldn’t stop.

Moments later, Gordon scored our third goal of the day. He took advantage of a mistake in defense when Leon Routh's long pass was mishandled, seizing the opportunity and calmly placing the ball into the net past the goalkeeper.

With our momentum fully in our favor, Chelsea's confidence skyrocketed. Runham increased our advantage with a strong shot using his right foot. Thanks to an excellent setup from Gordon, who skillfully pulled the ball back, the 17-year-old took a quick touch and blasted it into the bottom corner, leaving the Villa goalkeeper unable to react.

Chelsea scored their fifth goal through excellent teamwork, as Gordon capitalized on a quick counter-attack. Kavuma-McQueen picked up the ball and unleashed a powerful right-footed shot, which the Villa goalkeeper couldn't stop.

Staying Strong Until The Finish

Our rivals showed great determination and were able to score. Villa's Briscoe got on the scoreboard with a shot from close range that got by Sands, the goalkeeper.

Just before the referee signaled the end of the match, substitute Idrissi boosted our lead by launching a shot from outside the box. The ball flew past the Aston Villa goalie and nestled in the net, ensuring a triumphant day for the young Blues.

Chelsea's next match in the Under-18 Premier League is against West Ham, and we're looking to keep our winning streak alive. The game is set for next Saturday, starting at 11am, and will take place at the Little Heath Sports Centre.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1 Formation): Hudson Sands; Joseph Wheeler-Henry, Lewi Richards, Tayo Subuloye, Calvin Diakite; Landon Emenalo (replaced by Yahyah Idrissi in the 84th minute), Ollie Harrison (Captain); Sol Gordon (substituted for Charlie Holland in the 78th minute), Leo Cardoso, Ryan Kavuma-McQueen (replaced by Joel Philbert in the 78th minute); Frankie Runham. Unused substitutes: Harry McGlinchey, Toby Bell. Players booked: Kavuma-McQueen (45+4), Subuloye (46), Richards (83). Goals scored: Subuloye (40th minute), Kavuma-McQueen (51st and 72nd minutes), Gordon (54th minute), Runham (60th minute), Idrissi (90th minute).

Aston Villa: Owen Asemota (replaced by Jack Allan in the second minute of first-half stoppage time), Woody Burgess (substituted by Jacob Green in the 61st minute), Teddie Bloomfield (captain), Tj Carroll, Leon Routh, Kielan Quinn, Bradley Burrowes (brought on by Elijah Briscoe in the 61st minute), Max Jenner, Trai-Varn Mulley, Cole Brannigan (replaced by Max Asante-Boakye in the 67th minute), George Hemmings (subbed for Alfie Lynskey at halftime). Yellow card: Bloomfield (36th minute). Goals: Hemmings (10 minutes in), Briscoe (74 minutes in).