Chelsea set the tone from the start and were rewarded in the 19th minute. Jashayde Greenwood showed composure to slot home from close range, following a slick, well-worked assist from Mathis Eboue.

Birmingham responded as the game settled, with Michael Campbell finding an equaliser to send the sides in level at the break.

After the restart, the Blues regained control with determination and quality. Reggie Watson restored the lead with a superb finish into the bottom corner, before Andrew Pennie sealed the win in style, firing an unstoppable strike into the top corner.

It was a commanding performance from Chelsea from start to finish and a result which leaves us joint on points at the top of the table.

Strong start

Our Saturday morning fixture got off to a feisty start, with the Blues pressing the visitors from the first whistle. Eboue and Sol Gordon were particularly lively, bursting forward at every opportunity and exploiting the wide areas with quick, dangerous runs into the box.

The first real chance came when Gordon cut inside and delivered a low ball across goal. Greenwood connected with a sweeping effort, but Birmingham goalkeeper Szymon Terenowicz was alert to keep it out.

Chelsea’s breakthrough soon followed. A slick passage of play saw Riley Ebho drive forward before finding Eboue, who had been a constant threat down the flank. The winger displayed excellent awareness to square the ball into the six-yard box, where Greenwood was perfectly positioned to tap home from close range, giving the Blues a deserved lead.

Real contest

Despite Chelsea’s bright start, Birmingham showed resilience and gradually grew into the game, searching for an equaliser. Their persistence paid off just after the half-hour mark.

A quick delivery from Jack Quirk was parried by Blues goalkeeper Freddy Bernal, but the loose ball fell kindly to Campbell, who smashed the rebound home from close range to level the scores heading into the break.

Chelsea started the second half strongly, almost regaining the lead within minutes. Gordon delivered a dangerous ball into the box, where captain Dante Waite met it with a powerful right-footed strike, but his effort flashed narrowly wide.

Birmingham responded with a chance of their own, as Nikolai Degtiarev was found inside the area, only for his powerful shot to be expertly saved by Bernal. The action quickly swung back to the Blues, with Kobe Barbour testing the goalkeeper from outside the box, though his drilled effort was comfortably gathered.

Taking control

The Blues did not have to wait long to restore our advantage. Schoolboy Pennie showed great determination to win possession high up the pitch before delivering a cross that found Watson, who produced a clean, unstoppable right-footed strike into the bottom corner to make it 2-1.

Eboue continued to dominate down the wing, causing constant problems for the Birmingham defence. As Chelsea pushed for a third, the winger came agonisingly close, when his effort crashed off the post in the final 10 minutes.

The third goal arrived in style. Pennie impressed once again, racing down the flank before unleashing a sensational strike into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance and extending Chelsea’s lead.

Moments later, the young forward nearly added a second, cleverly racing into the box before seeing his close-range effort brilliantly saved.

We continued to press until the final whistle, demonstrating control, determination and quality in the closing stages. When the whistle finally blew, it confirmed a thoroughly deserved victory and a perfect start to 2026 for the Blues.

What it means

Chelsea closed the gap to the top of the table, on points at least. We now sit level with first-placed Crystal Palace on 24 points with a goal difference of +20. We only trail the leaders on goals scored, despite having played two games less, after three consecutive wins in the Under-18 Premier League.

What is next

Our Under-18s will next be in action on Wednesday 14 January, when we travel away to face Reading in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, kicking off at 7pm. We then return to Under-18 Premier League action with a midday kick-off away at Leicester City on Saturday 17 January.

The teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Freddy Bernal; Riley Ebho, Dante Waite (c), Calvin Diakite, Jacob Hall (Lewi Richards 66); Reggie Watson, Charlie Holland, Kobe Barbour (Heze Grimwade 80); Sol Gordon (Ibrahim Rabbaj 62), Jashayde Greenwood (Andrew Pennie 66), Mathis Eboue
Unused sub: Isaac Collinson
Scorers: Greenwood 19, Watson 68, Pennie 85
Booked: Greenwood 45, Watson 75

Birmingham City: Szymon Terenowicz, Henry Pearsall (Riquelme Thompson-Jones 62), Jack Quirk (c), Liam Brannigan (Dylan Okpapi 88), Alexander Ranson, Dynaeo Martin-Moore (Fynnley Hawkeswood 74), Nikolai Degtiarev, Joseph Ralph, Cobi Maddox, Michael Campbell (Jayden Nunes-Wickham 62), Kian Mccusker
Unused sub: Maximillian Pearce
Scorer: Campbell 33