Kingsmeadow hosts our Under-21s' second home Premier League 2 fixture of the week, when we take on neighbours Fulham on Friday evening. Our young Blues go into the match sat in 10th place, but are only six points off the Cottagers, who are themselves in search of a first win in two games.

Two players from our Academy who have been involved with the senior team recently, in addition to being more experienced members of Mark Robinson's Under-21s squad, are Eddie Beach and Alfie Gilchrist. The duo discussed their season so far ahead of facing Fulham.

Working with the best

'Training with the first team has been incredible for me,' said keeper Beach. 'It is the first step to where I want to be. I am working with some of the best players in the world.

'The level of intensity and skill on display every day pushes me to become a better goalkeeper. I'm learning so much, not just about goalkeeping, but about the game as a whole.

'One of the most valuable things I have learned is the importance of communication on the pitch. Being vocal and organising the defence is crucial at that level. I have realised that being a goalkeeper is not just about making saves, it is about being a leader on the pitch and making split-second decisions that can impact the game.'

Gilchrist is also pleased with his progress and the centre-back revealed how much he is enjoying the chances men's head coach Mauricio Pochettino is providing for players in the Academy age groups to show their ability.

'He's given opportunities to young players, and it motivates us in the Under-21s to become better and showcase our ability,' he added. 'Every training session and game is a chance for me to improve as a defender and understand where I should be to make the right decisions.'

Returning attention to our Premier League 2 campaign, both players believe that our Under-21s can improve our league position and making a statement against Fulham is the place to start.

'As young players we feed off confidence and trust,' Beach continued. 'We have a manager who believes in us, so that is half the challenge. We then have to put that trust to good use and execute the plans of the coaching team.'

Gilchrist echoed his thoughts: 'We are a young team, very different from last year, but we have a lot of good players. Once everything clicks, I have no doubts that we will be a much more consistent team.'

Last time

Our last game against the Cottagers in the PL2, away from home, made for happy viewing for the Blues. That match saw Chelsea Under-21s secure a comfortable 4-2 win, Cesare Casadei, Mason Burstow, Bashir Humphreys and Malik Mothersille all getting on the scoresheet.

A sold out Kingsmeadow held the west London derby in our last home game against our neighbours, but it wasn't Chelsea's day as Fulham beat our development squad 3-0 on that occasion. The game was a tough one for our Under-21s side, after a slow start by the Blues allowed our opponents to take the lead. A sliced clearance gave Luke Harris an easy finish past Teddy Sharman-Lowe.

Just before half-time, Harris doubled their lead when he pounced on a loose clearance from the Chelsea keeper and drove his subsequent effort into the bottom corner. He completed his hat-trick not long after the hour mark, when he was quickest to react to a Terry Ablade shot, which was parried in the six-yard box.

Watch the game live

The match will be available to watch on the Official Chelsea App, complete with enhanced stats and event tracking from MVX, built by Infinite Athlete. The stream is available globally and is priced at £1.99.

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