Match preview: Norwich City U18s v Chelsea U18s

In our match preview, we’ll be taking a look at the Blues season so far and hearing from U18s midfielder Harry Brooke on the team’s outlook after their defeat to Villa.

The opposition

Despite picking up an impressive 36 points across the 2020/2021 season, Chelsea finished in seventh-place in the U18 Premier League South last season, seven points ahead of the Canaries.

Their points tally was made up of eleven wins, three draws and ten losses, placing them just a point behind sixth-place Tottenham Hotspur.

In the present day, it’s been an emphatic start to the season so far for Chelsea, who have won both of their opening games against West Bromwich Albion and Tottenham 5-2 and 7-2 respectively.

Those massive margins and few goals conceded have given the Blues the start they would’ve dreamt of, holding onto a goal difference of +8 already.

Meanwhile, City are still looking to get their campaign up and running with points on the board after previous defeats to Southampton and Aston Villa.

The sides last faced each other in February 2021, Chelsea taking a 2-1 win at the Lotus Training Centre to take all three points.

Harry Brooke: “We need to bounce back by working hard as a team”

U18s midfielder Harry Brooke says the side’s loss to Aston Villa let the club down and calls on his team to work hard to put things right on Saturday.

“It was a disappointment to the club”, he said. “We didn’t abide by the core values of the club, didn’t work hard enough, everything went out the window.

“I just think we need to bounce back from that situation working hard individually, as a team and using the basics to a good standard

“What makes footballers is how you bounce back from defeat. Every team suffers defeat that they don’t expect, we didn’t expect that result.

“We have to bounce back and try our absolute hardest to put it right, make it right for the club and show what we’re really about again.”

Previewing the game ahead, Brooke believes his side are ready and raring to host the Blues at the Lotus Training Centre, adding that it is of utmost importance for the team to retain their confidence for the game.

“Everyone is pumped and feeling up for Chelsea. We know they’ll be a good side like they always are. We just have to keep practicing in training and working hard together. Keeping our confidence high, even though it’s hard after last week, will be key.”

You can follow all the action of Friday’s fixture through our dedicated Academy Twitter, where live updates will be issued with a full match report at the final whistle.