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WHEN Chelsea were hit with a transfer ban back in 2019 supporters could have been fearing the worst. There were probably around half of the fan base upset and panicking that they could be left behind by their rivals, and the other half over the moon knowing what this actually meant.
Callum Hudson-Odoi and Mason MountCredit: PA
Whilst Chelsea were unable to sign any shiny new players to join the fold in the face of their world class talisman Eden Hazard leaving the club, one very special and magical thing happened that was a huge thing for the club and for the fans.
The Blues were able to promote a number of academy graduates into the first team under the watchful eye of Frank Lampard and Jody Morris, with the latter of course knowing many of these players well after having coached them in the under-18s group.
The likes of Reece James, Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori, and Tammy Abraham were all handed important first team roles under Lampard.
And although things have later not worked out at the club for Tomori and Abraham, here we are on a Saturday lunchtime in October 2021 and Mount and James are having a heavy influence on Chelsea winning a Premier League game versus Norwich City.
Mount was assisting and scoring in the game bagging a hat-trick, his first finish was wonderful to put Chelsea 1-0 up.
Then later he assisted James to score Chelsea’s third goal, but that wasn’t the end of the academy triumph in this game.

It was pretty much the Cobham takeover, with Callum Hudson-Odoi also very impressive and getting on the scoresheet, and Trevoh Chalobah as well having his usual solid game at the heart of Chelsea’s defence.
So the 2019 transfer ban was the start of all this, and Thomas Tuchel has adopted the same aesthetics of promoting and trusting Chelsea’s own academy players if they are deemed good enough, and many are, as they continue to prove.
Chelsea invest a lot of time and money on their academy and making sure they have the best coaches, best facilities, and best scouts to ensure they are bringing through a wrath of talent, but often the door was always seen as being too firmly shut to the first team for any of them to make it for far too long.
But once again today, we are reminded that this door is wide open for the right players and for those who take their chances.
But not only are these guys taking their chances, they have become hugely important regular first team players for a Champions League winning Chelsea team. It’s great to see.
Something that was started by a club legend and former player who is adored by the fans in the shape of Lampard, to then being carried on by a top class coach who is already loved by Chelsea fans.
There is just something so special about a game in which three academy graduates get on the Chelsea scoresheet.
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CHELSEA kept pace at the top of the Premier League table with a 7-0 thrashing over Norwich. Even without injured strikers Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner, the Blues proved they can be full of goals.
Mason Mount leads the celebrations for ChelseaCredit: Reuters
Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Reece Jamesand Ben Chilwell were all on the scoresheet as Norwich were trounced at Stamford Bridge.
Here’s how Simon Phillips rated Chelsea’s performers.
Edouard Mendy – 8
He was largely just a bystander for Chelsea as they breezed past Norwich City, but all he did need to do he did well and was also very vocal from the back again and his block with his leg to stop a Norwich goal was superb.
Trevoh Chalobah – 8
He has settled into this Chelsea team so well like he has been a mainstay in there for the last three seasons. He was calm, contributing in attack and midfield when stepping out, and good defensively.
Trevoh Chalobah contributed in attack and midfield when stepping outCredit: AP

Thiago Silva – 8
He is the one that always instils calmness throughout the whole team. So good on the ball and making the right pass out of the back, helping to set up many Chelsea attacks and good moves.
Antonio Rudiger – 8
The crowd kept calling for him to shoot from distance and he did have a couple of half decent efforts. So energetic and direct when on the ball in an offensive position and he was solid at the back as well.
Reece James dinks one over Tim KrulCredit: AFP
Reece James – 8
Scored Chelsea’s third goal with a lovely little dink over the keeper, and his overall play was excellent throughout the game. Links up really well with Mason Mount, obviously!
Jorginho – 8
Lovely assist for Mount’s goal in the first half and his overall play was energetic and influential. He helps dictate Chelsea’s play and control their press as they hunted in packs to get the ball back.
Mateo Kovacic was outstanding in midfieldCredit: AFP
Mateo Kovacic – 9
Inch perfect pass from him to set up Hudson-Odoi’s first half goal and his passing range going forward was excellent today, something he has really improved on this season. Great contributions for Chelsea on the ball and dribbling out of danger.
Ben Chilwell – 8
He is thriving on this inverted wing back role he is playing and often looks like he is playing more in the ten role. He looked to be struggling a bit with a niggle at the start of the game but soon sorted that out and contributed well and finished his goal superbly.
Ben Chilwell celebrates his goalCredit: Reuters
Callum Hudson-Odoi – 9
He was very lively and did the hard work with his directness to help set up Mount’s first goal and then followed that up with a beautiful run and finish of his own to put Chelsea 2-0 up. Nearly Chelsea’s star man all game with his direct play and making things happen for them in the final third.
Mason Mount – 10
Took his first half goal excellently with a nicely drilled shot, set up Reece James for his goal with a perfectly weighted pass before scoring twice more to cap off a hat-trick, the last of which was a penalty. Just pipped Hudson-Odoi to man of the match.
Mason Mount scored a hat-trick for ChelseaCredit: EPA
Kai Havertz – 6
He was certainly the quieter and least effective of the front three but he also had some good moments and held the ball up well when he was asked to. Would have liked to have seen more effect from him today.
SUBS
Ruben Loftus-Cheek for Jorginho (63 mins) – 7
Very tidy as expected when he came on and helped Chelsea control the rest of the game.
Ross Barkley for Hudson-Odoi (68 mins) – 7
He was very lively and even got a couple of good shots off.
Hakim Ziyech for Havertz (68 mins) – 7
Did well in attack for Chelsea some nice little touches.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek helped Chelsea control the rest of the gameCredit: AFP More

MASON MOUNT broke his goal drought in style – just days after promising to step up in absence of strikers Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner. The England international had not scored since May before Norwich visited Stamford Bridge.
Mason Mount celebrates his opener against NorwichCredit: Getty
What a finish from Mason Mount! 🎯Chelsea take the lead early on against Norwich and it’s a lovely strike from one of their own 🌟 pic.twitter.com/1CwRob7mtI— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 23, 2021

And it came just as strike pair Lukaku and Werner were ruled out, having both limped off in Chelsea’s midweek 4-0 Champions League thrashing of Malmo.
But it took just ten minutes for Mount to live up to his words, as he volleyed a peach from outside the box to put the Blues 1-0 up.
The relief on his face was there for all to see, as the playmaker appeared to mouth ‘about f***ing time’.
Mount, who scored nine goals last season, was desperate to open his account this campaign.
He said before playing Norwich: “Getting goals from all areas is a big thing for us, a big positive.
“We can be dangerous from different parts of the team.

“We can be dangerous from set pieces and the way we play we get people in the box and create chances.
“It’s about time I got on the scoresheet. I’m getting in the right areas but it’s just not falling for me.
“Hopefully when the first one goes in the floodgates will open.”
Mount, 22, had previously not scored since Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final win against Real Madrid five months ago.
But he returned to the scoresheet in stunning fashion as he notched a hat-trick against Norwich.
A late penalty and tap in after a Ruben Loftus-Cheek run saw the midfielder take home the match ball.
Goals elsewhere from Callum Huson-Odoi, Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Norwich’s Max Aaron putting into his own net saw Chelsea run out 7-0 winners.
Chelsea boss Tuchel confirms that they will be without Lukaku, Werner and Pulisic due to injuries More

ROMELU LUKAKU hands out his number to younger players and sends them messages – as he does not want them to ‘feel star-struck’. The striker was just 17 when he first joined Chelsea in 2011, surrounded by his idol Didier Drogba as well as legends in Frank Lampard and John Terry.
Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku reaches out to young starsCredit: Rex
But by the time Lukaku re-joined the club, this summer for £97.5million, he returned as one of the finest forwards in the world.
The Belgium international has captained his country and even been tipped as a future Chelsea skipper by his manager Thomas Tuchel.
And now as a senior member of the squad, Lukaku, 28, prioritises being a role model and mentor to his current team-mates.
He said: “What I love about the younger players here is they are so dedicated to the game.
“You can see that each of them loves to work hard, so I just want to make sure they feel as good as they can be so they perform at the weekend.
“It’s the same thing when I’m with the national team – every time there is a new young player coming through, I always make sure he can talk to me and doesn’t feel star-struck by the players that we have.

“No, that’s not the goal; the end goal is to play, to perform, and that’s what I try to let them know.
“Sometimes with the new generation, I just DM them or send them my number, so they can call me if they need any advice or anything.
“It’s just stuff behind the scenes that you do to help the next Belgian footballer, or next player in the academy here.
“If they need some help, they can reach out.”
Lukaku, who speaks SEVEN different languages, made the comments in Chelsea’s match day programme before playing Norwich.
But he is ruled out of the game, and faces a month on the sidelines, after picking up an ankle injury against Malmo in the Champions League.
Chelsea boss Tuchel confirms that they will be without Lukaku, Werner and Pulisic due to injuries More

ROMELU LUKAKU revealed how his amazing memory as a kid helped him become a top player – and learn to speak SEVEN languages. The striker was capable of remembering a full match form start to finish and used it to analyse what he needed to improve on.
Romelu Lukaku revealed his amazing memory as a kid helped him become a top playerCredit: Getty
In Chelsea’s match day programme before playing Norwich, Lukaku said: “I didn’t have my parents filming my games and stuff, but I could visualise them.
“After the game, I could basically detail how it happened.
“”If my parents hadn’t been there to watch, I would tell my dad what happened, literally from the first to the last minute, in great detail.
“Sometimes if scouts had been at the game, they would call my dad and he would say to them, ‘This is what Rom said happened in the game’.
“And they would be like, ‘Yeah, that’s really what happened. 
“Sometimes, if I shoot and miss, I know perfectly where I made the mistake in my steps, my shooting, my movement, or whatever the case may be.
“I just know because it’s like repetition, repetition, repetition – at some point, it just becomes a natural thing, so that, football-wise, I can remember most things that happen in a game.”

After Chelsea’s 4-0 Champions League win at home to Malmo, it emerged Lukaku spoke eight languages.
But the modest forward, who came back to Stamford Bridge for a club-record £97.5million fee, admitted he does not speak German fluently.
He said: “German, no. I understand a little bit, though.
“Also, with Dutch and Flemish… it’s like England and Scotland. The accent is just different. We all speak Dutch, but it’s just the accent is different.” 
Lukaku, 28, was forced off against Malmo after winning Chelsea a penalty on the 20 minute mark.
He is now facing up to a month on the sidelines, following the twisted ankle.
Chelsea boss Tuchel confirms that they will be without Lukaku, Werner and Pulisic due to injuries More