Chelsea have been one of the most successful clubs in England and partly in Europe since Roman Abramovich bought the Blues in 2003.
The London outfit have won 15 trophies under the Russian’s ownership, with only Manchester United winning more silverware (17) in the same timeframe.
Abramovic has pumped in billions to improve the club and make it competitive in both domestic and European competitions. The Russian has always strived for instant success and has not shied away from firing managers at the drop of a hat.
However, Chelsea’s spending spree was brought to a halt last summer as they were handed a two-window transfer ban.
The ban was imposed on the Blues by FIFA after the Premier League giants were found guilty of serious and systemic breach of the rules regarding their dealings with overseas players under the age of 18. Chelsea were found guilty in 29 of those cases.
The ban provided a much-needed break for Chelsea’s academy stars, who have long awaited for their opportunity to play for the first team. Although Chelsea’s ban was halved in December last year, manager Frank Lampard decided to rely on the youngsters to do the job for the rest of the season.
Today, we will look at the youngsters who made their mark for Lampard’s side in the ongoing season.
#1 Mason Mount
The 21-year-old, who was out on loan for the last two season at Vitesse and Derby County respectively, has impressed one and all with his impressive performances for Chelsea in the present campaign.
Mason Mount got his break in English football under Frank Lampard at Derby County last season and has since not looked back. Lampard has deployed Mount an attacking midfielder at Stamford Bridge, with the youngster grabbing the opportunity with both hands.
Mount has played 29 Premier League games this season, scoring six times and providing four assists. He is an intelligent passer of the ball and possesses good technical abilities. The England international is very attacking going forward and that shows with his numbers of almost three shots and three dribbles per game.
#2 Tammy Abraham
The 22-year-old had a breakthrough season with Aston Villa in the Championship in 2018-19 as he scored 25 times in 37 league appearances for the Villains.
Tammy Abraham has been in fine form in the present campaign as well, netting 13 goals and providing three assists in 25 Premier League games for Chelsea.
The tall striker is blessed with great pace and as the season progressed, his hold-up play also improved considerably. The aerial abilities of the youngster are to watch out for as he is a constant threat in the opposition box during set-piece situations and also from open play.
It seems Chelsea finally have a striker in their ranks who can emulate the legendary Didier Drogba if he keeps on performing on a regular basis.
#3 Fikayo Tomori
Fikayo Tomori’s story is very similar to that of Mason Mount. Tomori got his big break under Frank Lampard during his loan spell at Derby County last season, with the youngster continuing his progress in the Premier League in the present campaign.
Owing to his impressive performances for Chelsea, the 22-year-old centre-back received his maiden senior England call-up last year. He earned his first cap for the Three Lions against Kosovo in November last year.
Tomori, who has found game time hard to come by since the turn of the year, has made 22 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea in the ongoing campaign, with 15 of those coming in the Premier League. Besides helping the Blues keep four clean sheets in the league, he has also chipped in with a goal.
#4 Callum Hudson-Odoi
The Chelsea academy graduate made his first-team debut for the club in January 2018 and has since slowly but steadily managed to make his mark at Stamford Bridge.
The 19-year-old was heavily liked with a move to Bayern Munich during the 2019 January transfer window, with the Bundesliga champions reigniting their interest in the teenager last summer. However, Callum Hudson-Odoi stayed put at Chelsea and has made 25 appearances across all competitions this season, scoring three goals and setting up five more.
Despite starting just seven Premier League matches this season, it’s safe to say that the youngster is highly rated by the Chelsea think-tank.
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