We pegged Norwich back right from the start and took an early lead from the penalty spot, when Chizaram Ezenwata was brought down by the keeper and slotted in the kick himself. However, it was short lived as Finlay Corke soon equalised for the Canaries from a long throw-in.

We retook the lead before half-time through a well-placed finish by Walter Nutter, though, and once the second half began we never looked back. Reggie Walsh placed our third into the bottom corner five minutes after the break and we pushed on from there.

Sol Gordon extended our lead further when played through by Walsh and then added his second, and our fifth, of the game in added time to give the scoreline and emphatic feel, and put us ahead of Aston Villa at the top of the table by a single goal.

Fast start

The Blues started well and threatened early, when Reggie Walsh glanced a header narrowly wide of the right-hand post from Harry McGlinchey’s floated cross. We were attacking with real purpose and it wasn’t long before Norwich cracked under the early pressure.

Joseph Wheeler-Henry played a brilliant ball around the outside and into the right-hand channel for Chizaram Ezenwata to chase. The striker got there first and was brought down as he rounded the Norwich keeper. No question for the referee, a Chelsea penalty.

Ezenwata picked himself off and lined up to take the kick himself, calmly slotting into the bottom-right corner past the dive of Ethan Binnie to give the Blues the lead inside the opening 10 minutes.

It was one we were only able to hold for five minutes, though, as Norwich hit back quickly to wipe out our early goal. The equaliser came out of nothing, as the Canaries launched a long throw deep into the Chelsea box, where Corke was able to hook it over the keeper and in at the back post.

Back in front

Norwich continued to threaten for a brief period after their goal, but it was mainly from range, and we were soon back on top, Ezenwata rolling a shot narrowly wide after working space in the area.

We were back in front midway through the first half with a fine goal. Norwich had failed to clear after Frankie Runham’s cross and when the ball fell invitingly for Walter Nutter on the edge of the box he made no mistake, threading a placed left-footed shot through the bodies in the box and into the bottom corner.

The remainder of the first half was an end-to-end affair, with both defences called into action. Walsh was getting closer and closer to finding the back of the net, with a couple of stinging drives from outside the box whizzing just wide of the post with the goalkeeper well beaten.

At the back, Norwich were threatening from wide positions, looking to outnumber our full-backs and deliver same dangerous low crosses into the box. Olutayo Subuloye had to make two crucial blocks in quick succession, but we held firm through a spell of Norwich pressure to go in for the break with a one-goal lead.

Pulling clear

Chelsea began the second half just as strongly as the first, taking just five minutes to extend our lead. It was Walsh who got it after handing the Canaries fair warning in the first half. Another Runham cross found its way to Ezenwata with his back to goal, and the striker cleverly laid the ball off for the midfielder to stroke it home with a composed finish.

This time we were able to hold on to the advantage earned by our goal early in the half. By the time we entered the game’s final 30 minutes, Chelsea were firmly in control and looking comfortable during long spells of sustained possession within the Norwich half.

Substitute Mathis Eboue seemed determined to add to the scoreline, fizzing one powerful drive narrowly over the bar from 20 yards and driving another into the side-netting from a tight angle after a strong solo run, as we kept our opponents on the back foot.

Just after the 20-minute mark, our pressure told again. It was a clinical goal all around, as Walsh strode forward out of midfield to open things up before sliding a perfectly weighted through-ball between the Norwich defenders. Gordon raced clear and opened his body to slide a finish past the keeper with a minimum of fuss.

That extended Chelsea’s lead to three and it was well deserved. There had only been one team in it since the half-time break. With four goals under our belt and Norwich’s hopes fading, it was now a matter of seeing it through to the end during the last 15 minutes, but the Blues kept their foot on the gas.

We were even able to add a fifth goal to our tally in added time, when a teasing ball into the box from Ibrahim Rabbaj following a corner routine evaded the Norwich defence and left Blues queueing up to apply the finish, before Gordon smashed high into the net to make the final score 5-1.

What it means

This victory sends Chelsea back to the top of the Under-18 Premier League table, narrowly ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference, although the Villans have an extra two games remaining to play.

What is next

Chelsea Under-18s play our final league fixture of the season next Saturday 3 May, away at Tottenham Hotspur for an 11am kick-off which will be shown live for free on the official Chelsea website and Chelsea Official App.

The teams

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Hudson Sands; Joseph Wheeler-Henry, Olutayo Subuloye, Dante Waite (Calvin Diakite 79), Harry McGlinchey; Walter Nutter (Mathis Eboue 65), Ollie Harrison (c); Frankie Runham, Reggie Walsh (Ibrahim Rabbaj 79), Sol Gordon; Chizaram Ezenwata (Kobe Barbour 65)
Unused sub: Isaac Collinson
Scorers: Ezenwata pen 9, Nutter 26, Walsh 50, Gordon 73, 90+2

Norwich City (4-2-3-1): Ethan Binnie, Finlay Oligbo (Jake Glossop h-t), Vatan Ozcan, Tyler Williams, Gabriel Keita, Oser Okpiahele, Damari Daley (Foden Northover 59), Alan Domeracki (Miles Bracking 59), Finlay Corke, Toby Chilvers, Ajay Tavares (Kahlil Steele 65)
Scorer: Corke 14