George, who has been playing in blue for over a decade, has progressed through our Academy ranks at Cobham and is an important member of our Under-21 squad. However, the England Under-19 international has also enjoyed involvement at senior level.

This season, he has featured for the first team in our Carabao Cup tie against Barrow as well as in our UEFA Conference League fixtures, the latest being a 4-1 win against Panathinaikos last week.

Yet going into this weekend's fixtures, George's sights are firmly set on Arsenal as our Under-21s side look to build on a 3-1 victory last time out in the league.

'London derbies are special occasions,' the 18-year-old begins. 'I think the significance of the game adds a little more to it. When you’re younger, you grow up watching these intense rivalries and you feel the competition early on. It heightens everything.

'Watching the men’s team in these London derbies, you feel the intensity. There’s more energy, more excitement. These games feel different from a regular Premier League 2 game, too. We want to win every match, but every team wants that extra in a derby.'

The schedule for the young Blues has been busy since the October international break, with our latest outing coming in the EFL Trophy against Charlton Athletic on Tuesday. Yet preparations, both as a team and individually, for the Gunners visit are well underway.

'I keep things consistent so I stay calm and composed and can perform at my best,' says George. 'The game will be a tough battle, we know that. A London derby is always tough and physical, so we’re ready for it and determined to get the right result.

'Training has gone really well this week and I’m feeling positive. Filipe (Coelho)is a good coach. He’s brought in a new style of play that’s working well for us and has been tough for our opponents to handle. I’d say we need to be ruthless in the box and confident in both penalty areas, that’s key to seeing us through.'

Tonight's PL2 encounter takes place at a stadium George feels very much at home. He has struck four goals in five outings at Kingsmeadow, including a hat-trick in a Premier League Cup victory over Brentford.

'Playing at Kingsmeadow is a fantastic experience. It’s a great pitch and being on our home turf with our fans behind us gives us added confidence and comfort, which is so important if we want to secure the win.

'Seeing the fans’ support and knowing they’re behind us makes a real difference. We’re ready to show them what we can do on the pitch so they can see our hard work and hopefully watch us get the win.

'To our supporters, be ready for a great game. It’s going to be entertaining, and we’re excited to have you cheering us on.'

Still time to get your tickets

Watch our Chelsea Under-21s return to action this Friday evening as we host Arsenal at Kingsmeadow, with kick-off scheduled for 7pm. Tickets are available at £7 for adults and £5 for juniors and seniors. Every supporter purchasing a ticket for the match will be entered into a prize draw to win tickets for the men's Premier League match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge 10 days later.

If you cannot attend Kingsmeadow, you can watch the live stream in our Chelsea Under-21s vs Arsenal Match Centre by clicking below or via the homepage of the official Chelsea website and app shortly before kick-off. Ensure that you are registered and logged in with a free Chelsea account to view the stream.