Chelsea Under-18s controlled much of the opening 45 minutes as we looked to build on our impressive form this season.

Kobe Barbour broke the deadlock with his second goal of the campaign, finishing a brilliant solo run with a precise strike from outside the area. His clinical effort put the Blues ahead at Cobham as we went into the break with the advantage.

Chizaram Ezenwata extended the lead after the break, calmly converting a penalty after Mathis Eboue was fouled inside the box.

Just eight minutes later, Chelsea struck again. Eboue fired a composed finish into the bottom corner to secure a third goal and cap a fine afternoon of football.

The scoring was not finished. In stoppage time, substitute Chris Atherton added a fourth with a neat tap-in, helping the Blues maintain our four-game unbeaten run in the league.

Chelsea Under-18s started brightly on home soil, immediately pressing forward in the opening exchanges. The Saturday morning clash was briefly halted inside the first minute after Brighton’s Adam Brett suffered an early injury that required an extended stoppage.

Once play resumed, the young Blues quickly settled into our stride. Dante Waite played a delightful long ball over the Brighton defence to Barbour, who surged into the penalty area. However, the pass carried just a fraction too much weight and rolled out of play, allowing Brighton a lucky escape.

Midfield schoolboy Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli impressed early, linking neatly with Charlie Holland and driving Chelsea forward at every opportunity. He nearly marked the occasion with his first Under-18s goal of the campaign, unleashing a fierce strike from distance that skimmed just over the crossbar.

Stunning style!

The breakthrough always felt inevitable, and when it arrived, it was worth the wait.

Barbour collected the ball wide, skipped past his marker with sharp footwork, and burst into space. From just outside the box, he drilled a powerful low strike into the bottom corner, squeezing past the Brighton keeper at his near post. The clinical finish put Chelsea 1-0 ahead and rewarded our early dominance.

The game then settled into a slightly cagey spell. The Blues continued to press and looked to double the lead but struggled to find the decisive touch. Striker Ezenwata worked hard to get involved as we applied steady pressure on Brighton’s backline.

As the first half approached the 45-minute mark, Brighton began to grow into the game. On his first appearance of the season, keeper Hudson Sands, backed by a solid back four led superbly by captain Olutayo Subuloye, remained composed and dealt calmly with any threat.

In stoppage time, the visitors enjoyed their best spell of the half. Brett fired over from a promising position, and Fraser Widdop followed with a scooped effort that Sands gathered confidently.

The action quickly swung back the other way. Eboue came close with a fierce low drive that flashed across the face of goal. The young Blues held firm and went into the break 1-0 ahead.

Blues hold firm

Brighton began the second half on the front foot. They won a free-kick just outside the area after Holland fouled Sebastian Ademola. Younes Ibrahim’s initial effort was blocked, but he reacted quickest to the rebound and fired low towards goal. The shot drifted just inches wide, a lucky escape for the Blues as the visitors pressed for an equaliser.

Henry Kasvosve went close soon after with a touch from close range, but Hudson Sands produced an outstanding reaction save to keep Brighton off the scoresheet.

At the other end, Sol Gordon had his first real chance to test the keeper. He drove into the box and struck from a tight angle, but Finley Taylor stayed strong to deny him and protect the visitors’ backline.

Strong finish!

We soon regained the upper hand and struck a second time at Cobham. A penalty was awarded after Isaiah Alakiu brought down Eboue inside the box during a surging run towards goal. Our No.9, Ezenwata, stepped up and coolly chipped the ball into the net to extend our lead.

The scoring did not stop there. Chelsea found a third goal as the match entered its final stages. Ezenwata and Eboue combined once more, with Ezenwata spotting the midfielder inside the penalty area. The midfielder took a touch before firing a superb finish into the bottom corner for his second goal of the campaign.

Substitute Atherton then made an immediate impact. Coming on for Gordon, he was on hand to convert a precise cross from Harry McGlinchey, neatly tapping the ball into the net and sealing a 4-0 victory in a brilliant performance from the young Blues.

What's next

The Blues will play our next match away at West Bromwich Albion in the Under-18 Premier League on Saturday 27 September, with kick-off at 12pm. Supporters can watch the game live and free on the Official Chelsea App and Website.

The teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Hudson Sands; Lewi Richards, Dante Waite, Olutayo Subuloye (c), Calvin Diakite (Harry McGlinchey 63); Charlie Holland (Isaac Badu 63), Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, Mathis Eboue; Sol Gordon (Chris Atherton 86), Chizaram Ezenwata, Kobe Barbour (Hezekiah Grimwade 66)
Unused sub: Jack Austin
Scorers: Barbour 20, Ezenwata (P) 80, Eboue 88, Atherton 90+6

Brighton & Hove Albion: Finley Taylor, Isaiah Alakiu (Raffaele Oppong 83), Cristiano Anah (Liam Crutchett 58), Sebastian Ademola, Tate Ferdinand (c), Jesse Middleton, Henry Kasvosve, Fraser Widdop (Jackson Morby 76), Adam Brett (Billy-Ray Cullinane 83), Younes Ibrahim, Bode Newnham-Reeve (Tobi Akapo 83)
Booked: Brett 45+6, Widdop 68