A vision of an exciting future at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea 5 - 1 Ajax
Chelsea made history in the Champions League by becoming the first team to have three teenage scorers as they thrashed a woeful Ajax.
Author | Lauren W
Stadium | Stamford Bridge
Marc Guiu, 19, opened the scoring and briefly became Chelsea’s youngest Champions League goalscorer, striking just over a minute into the match following the sending off of Ajax captain Kenneth Taylor. His record, however, lasted only 33 minutes before Estevao Willian, 18, netted Chelsea’s third goal from a penalty, adding to spot-kicks converted earlier by Enzo Fernandez and Wout Weghorst, as well as a long-range strike from Moises Caicedo in a frenetic first half.
Chelsea made three changes at half-time, including forward Tyrique George, who scored within three minutes of coming on to become the third teenager on the scoresheet. Substitute midfielder Reggie Walsh, 17, also made history by becoming the youngest player to appear for the club in the Champions League and the second youngest Englishman in the competition after Jack Wilshere for Arsenal.
It was a poor showing from Ajax, four-time European champions, with Taylor’s reckless late challenge setting the tone for a match dominated by Chelsea. Further lapses in discipline compounded their problems. Weghorst, who had already scored from the spot following a foul by Tosin Adarabioyo, conceded another penalty after a mistimed tackle on Fernandez, who converted his own opportunity just before half-time. Remarkably, Ajax gave away a third penalty in first-half added time when Youri Baas fouled Estevao, who once again picked himself up to score.
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After George’s fifth, the tempo dropped as Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca began resting key players, making all five substitutions by the 65th minute.
Ajax, once European heavyweights, have now lost all three of their Champions League matches this season and sit bottom of the 36-team table, also without a win in four games across all competitions. Chelsea, by contrast, have won back-to-back European fixtures following their opening defeat at Bayern Munich and will next travel to Azerbaijan to face Qarabag.
Chelsea's youngsters are shining
Chelsea have not fielded a player over the age of 30 since the start of last season. A remarkable stat.
Ten players aged 21 or under featured for Chelsea in this one-sided encounter. With an average age of just 22 years and 163 days, this was also the second youngest starting XI fielded by an English side in the Champions League, surpassed only by Arsenal against Olympiakos nearly 16 years ago.
Forwards Estevao, Guiu and George will long remember scoring their first goals in Europe’s premier competition, while Reggie Walsh set a new record as the youngest player to appear in the Champions League, having turned 17 on Monday, overtaking now-Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke.
Maresca’s deployment of youth, with Josh Acheampong, Jorrel Hato, Romeo Lavia, Jamie Gittens and Buonanotte also aged 21 or under, will have pleased the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
The only surprise was the absence of 16-year-old winger Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, who had been named in a senior matchday squad for the first time.
