While Thomas Tuchel's side got their season underway with an unconvincing victory over Everton at Goodison Park at the weekend, Chelsea's Premier League 2 side ensured that they made a statement. Mark Robinson took charge of his first competitive match and led the Blues to a 7-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The development side had already faced Wolves in pre-season and fell to a defeat while on their USA tour but hit back with a monumental display to lay down the gauntlet in the division after narrowly avoiding relegation in 2021/22.
Harvey Vale wasted little time showing his quality at academy level and bagged a brace in the opening 13 minutes of the match. The 18-year-old twice pounced on sloppy play from the home side to produce accomplished finishes and set the Blues up for a solid evening of work.
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The youngster spent some time with the first team during their USA pre-season tour before joining up with the development side and then featured against Udinese under Tuchel's gaze. Having made his debut during 2021/22, he wasted little time showing the level he was playing at, having also scored the season's opening goal last term.
Vale's performance will only serve as a reminder that he is in the final year of his contract but also could benefit from a high-level move for the season. It would be understandable that Chelsea are against sending the England under-19 captain on loan without securing his long-term future at the club. A situation that reinforces the importance of business must be done outside of high-profile incomings such as Wesley Fofana and trimming down the squad via the departures of Maland Sarr, Marcos Alonso and others.
Vale was not the only player to impress, with Dion Rankine and Jayden Wareham also netting on two occasions while Alfie Gilchrist polished off an exemplary set piece move with a header. New development squad addition Omari Hutchinson put in an exciting display, feeding the ball for Rankine to score his second and lofting in a first-time pass in the build-up to Gilchrist's goal.
The Arsenal product has already been linked to a loan, and his qualities were obvious to see. The attacker's influence on the squad has already been made clear, with Wareham crediting Hutchinson for his acrobatic celebration.
It remains to be seen how many of those starting the fixture against Wolves will be available when the season enters September. Vale, alongside Xavier Simons, Xavier Mbuyamba, Leo Castledine, Wareham and Charlie Webster, all see their contracts expire in 2023. A variety of paths await the young stars, and loans, transfers and/or extensions could await. Even away from the first team, there is much work to be done.
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