Our Under-18s welcome Millwall to Stamford Bridge in the quarter-final of this year’s FA Youth Cup on Thursday 27 February. The tie is live on the 5th Stand App, kick-off 7pm.
We've only had had only two Youth Cup quarter-final ties at Stamford Bridge in the last 10 years but our Under-18s will add to that number when Millwall visit SW6 to battle for a place in this year’s last four of the competition.
In 2011 we beat Watford at Stamford Bridge in front of a 2,000 capacity crowd. Our most recent last-eight tie at the stadium was in 2016 when we beat Reading 2-1 - Tammy Abraham was on the scoresheet that evening. The Blues went on to win the competition, beating Manchester City 4-2 over a two-legged final.
Here, we look back at some of our other most memorable quarter-final encounters...
17 February 2010, Watford 0 Chelsea 4 – Vicarage Road. 2,270
Chelsea Sam Walker, Billy Clifford, Jeffrey Bruma, Daniel Mills Pappoe, Aziz Deen-Conteh, Conor Clifford (c), Milan Lalkovic, Kaby, Marko Mitrovic, Josh McEachran (George Saville 90), Gokhan Tore
Unused subs Jamal Blackman, Bobby Blackman, Bobby Devyne, Ben Sampayo, Rohan Ince
Scorers Kaby 30, Mitrovic 45 pen, Bruma 60, McEachran 89
Head coach Dermot Drummy
Two goals in each half meant Chelsea’s passage through to the semi-final was smooth, Mitrovic’s penalty on the stroke of half-time complimenting Kaby's opener. Bruma added a third for Drummy’s team before McEachran rounded up the scoring in the final minute of play.
The Blues went on to win the 2009/10 Youth Cup, beating Aston Villa 3-2 on aggregate in a two-legged final. Clifford scored an 83rd-minute winner after Mitrovic’s equaliser on the hour mark. We turned around the one-goal deficit to win our first Youth Cup since 1961.
15 March 2012, Nottingham Forest 3 Chelsea 4 – City Ground
Chelsea Jamal Blackman, Todd Kane, Nathaniel Chalobah (c), Nathan Ake, Adam Nditi, Lewis Baker (Alistar Gordan 90), Reece Mitchell (Archange Nkumu 45), John Swift, Islam Feruz, Amin Affane (Alex Kiwomya 71), Lucas Piazon
Unused subs Mitchell Beeney, Anjur Osmanovic
Scorers Piazon 52, Feruz 62, 70, Kiwomya 86
Head coach Adi Viveash
Viveash’s team had the worst possible start to a game as the Blues found themselves three goals down after 43 minutes. Ake had inadvertently helped Forest, scoring an own goal for the home team’s second.
However, the Blues came roaring back in the second half to turn the tie around, aided by two goals in eight minutes from Feruz. In the final, although we lost the second leg 1-0 at Ewood Park against Blackburn Rovers, the hard work had already been done in the first leg at the Bridge and was enough to see the team lift the trophy for a second time in three years.
11 March 2014, Newcastle United 2 Chelsea 3 – St James’s Park, 2,506
Chelsea Mitchell Beeney, Isak Ssewankambo, Dion Conroy, Andreas Christensen, Ola Aina, Charlie Colkett (Jordan Houghton 85), Alex Kiwomya, Ruben Loftus-Cheek (c), Dominic Solanke, Jeremie Boga, Isaiah Brown (Reece Mitchell 75)
Unused subs Brad Collins, Jay Dasilva, Charly Musonda
Scorers Solanke 22, Kiwomya 52, Boga 63
Head coach Adi Viveash
This was another quarter-final where the Blues had to come from behind to progress. After Solanke’s opener, Newcastle struck twice and were ahead at the break. Kiwomya and Boga fired one each to regain the lead and the Blues held on for a nervy final 30 minutes at St James's Park.
After losing out in the final the previous year at the hands of Norwich City, the Blues reclaimed the coveted title by beating local rivals Fulham 7-6 on aggregate in a dramatic two-legged final.
27 February 2018, Fulham 0 Chelsea 6 – Craven Cottage
Chelsea Jamie Cumming, Tariq Lamptey, Reece James (c), Marc Guehi, Clinton Mola, Conor Gallagher, Tariq Uwakwe, Billy Gilmour, Daishawn Redan (Martell Taylor-Crossdale 62), George McEachran (Dujon Sterling 72, Callum Hudson-Odoi
Unused subs Karlo Ziger, Marcel Lavinier, Charlie Brown
Scorers Own-goal 51, Hudson-Odoi 56, Taylor-Crossdale 68, 78, 87 pen, Sterling 76
Head coach Jody Morris
After a dull and scoreless first half, Chelsea ran riot at Craven Cottage after the restart. Six goals - three for Taylor-Crossdale, one for Hudson-Odoi, one for Sterling and and own goal - saw Morris’s men cruise into the semi-finals.
The Blues went all the way again, winning the trophy for a fifth consecutive year after beating Arsenal 7-1 over two legs. The only goal conceded by the Blues throughout the whole competition that season came in the first leg of the final.
Our latest Youth Cup quarter-final tie is scheduled for this Thursday 27 February. Please note that tickets are now off sale. You can watch live and for free on this website or the 5th Stand App.