It was a successful weekend for the Chelsea Academy, following the Under-21s’ victory over Southampton the previous evening. The Under-18s were determined to build on that momentum and strengthen our position at the top of the Under-18 Premier League.

Despite falling behind in the opening minute to Ben Tree’s strike, the Blues responded swiftly, capitalising on a defensive error from Norwich to level the score through an own goal.

Schoolboy Heze Grimwade, brought on early as a substitute for the injured Kobe Barbour, then put us ahead before half-time, scoring his first goal at Under-18s level at just 15 years old to make it 2-1 at the break.

The win was completed by our top scorer Chizaram Ezenwata, who added a third with just six minutes of normal time remaining, netting his 14th goal of the season and capping off a memorable afternoon for the Blues.

Eventful start

Norwich City burst out of the blocks in Saturday morning’s league fixture, catching the Blues off guard inside the opening minute. Under pressure, the Blues lost possession and striker Tree raced through to fire a low shot past Hudson Sands, giving the hosts an early 1-0 lead.

The Blues quickly found our rhythm, taking control of possession and moving the ball with confidence. Sol Gordon was particularly lively on the wing, repeatedly troubling Norwich’s defence and creating openings for his team-mates.

Our persistence soon paid off. A teasing cross from Lewi Richards found its way into the box. In an attempt to clear, Norwich defender Jake Glossop unintentionally turned the ball off Emmanuel Oserhiemen and into the net, looping over Niko Tkaczuk to level the score at 1-1. It was an unusual goal, but we were happy to see parity restored.

Just past the 20-minute mark, the Canaries went close again. Glossop’s whipped cross found Tree sneaking between the centre-backs. He flicked a header toward goal, but it drifted narrowly wide, providing welcome relief for Chelsea.

Shortly after, we faced a set-back when attacker Kobe Barbour was forced off with an injury. Schoolboy Grimwade came on as his replacement, prompting head coach Dan Hogan to make an early tactical adjustment.

Blues back in front

The unexpected substitution did nothing to slow the Blues. Riley Ebho charged down the flank and cut the ball back for striker Ezenwata, whose close-range effort was brilliantly blocked on the line, denying him a goal.

Moments later, we took the lead for the first time in the match. Gordon drove into the box and laid the ball across for Grimwade, who was perfectly positioned to slot a clean strike into the bottom corner, giving the Blues a 2-1 advantage.

We came close to extending the lead soon after. A harsh tackle from Jeremiah Sinclair-Brown on Charlie Holland earned a free-kick in a dangerous position. Reggie Watson, well known in the squad for his set-piece ability, stepped up, but his whipped effort rattled the base of the post, the woodwork halting his celebrations.

Our final chance of the half fell to Ezenwata once more. He met a looping cross from Richards with a powerful strike, but the ball narrowly missed the far post. After a first half packed with pace, pressure and end-to-end action, Chelsea went into the break 2-1 in front.

Second-half shift

Blues skipper Dante Waite came close to extending our lead early in the second half, unleashing a venomous strike from just inside the area. His effort was on target and struck with immense power, but Tkaczuk did well to push it away.

The game then settled into a cagey spell, with both sides struggling to create clear chances. To inject fresh energy, our Under-18s head coach turned to the bench, bringing on Isago Silva and Jashayde Greenwood in place of Ibrahim Rabbaj and Ebho.

We had our best opportunity of the second half shortly after a quick break. Ezenwata rolled a low through-ball into the box, putting Gordon one-on-one with Tkaczuk, but his low strike was smothered by the keeper at close range.

Our striker strikes again!

Patience finally paid off as the Blues secured our third goal of the afternoon. A precise long cross from Richards found Ezenwata, whose perfectly timed run left him unmarked in the middle of the area. He stooped to head the ball cleanly into the bottom corner, leaving Tkaczuk helpless and making it 3-1.

We thought we had a fourth soon after. Grimwade drove upfield and linked neatly with substitute Chris Atherton before spotting Greenwood, whose low strike found the back of the net. However, celebrations were cut short as the assistant referee raised his flag for offside with just two minutes of normal time remaining.

Chelsea continued to press until the final whistle, but the score remained 3-1.

What it means

This win extended Chelsea's lead at the top of the Under-18 Premier League table to six points over second-placed Crystal Palace, marking our 10th victory of the league campaign so far.

What's next

Chelsea Under-18s will be in action in the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup when we host Manchester City at Kingsmeadow on Monday 9 February, with kick-off at 7pm. The match will be available to watch live on the Chelsea Official App and website.

Tickets are also available for the game, with free entry for Chelsea season ticket holders (men’s and women’s), members and under-20s. General admission is priced at £4.

The teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Hudson Sands; Riley Ebho (Isago Silva 65), Lewi Richards, Dante Waite (c), Calvin Diakite; Reggie Watson, Charlie Holland, Kobe Barbour (Heze Grimwade 25); Ibrahim Rabbaj (Jashayde Greenwood 65), Chizaram Ezenwata, Sol Gordon (Chris Atherton 85)
Unused sub: Aaron Woolford
Scorers: Glossop og 16, Grimwade 30, Ezenwata 84

Norwich City: Niko Tkaczuk, Jake Glossop, Vatan Ozcan, Sonny Rowland, Emmanuel Oserhiemen (Takudzwa Gwanzura 77), Reuben Cooper, Reece Wilkes, Kahlil Steele (Hugo Collins 82), Ben Tree (Ajay Tavares 62), Jeremiah Sinclair-Brown (Rio Mundle 77), Finlay Corke
Unused sub: Harry Derbyshire-Came
Scorers: Tree 1
Booked: Sinclair-Brown 34