Sports
Chelsea Under-21s Suffer Last-Minute Defeat Against West Bromwich Albion
On Saturday afternoon, Chelsea‘s Under-21 team returned to Premier League 2 action against West Bromwich Albion at Kingsmeadow. Despite a promising start from Chelsea, it was West Brom who emerged victorious with a stoppage-time winner, concluding the match 2-1.
The game commenced with high intensity as Chelsea immediately put pressure on West Brom’s defense. Reiss Russell-Denny opened the scoring for Chelsea with a fine finish at the far post. However, West Brom held their ground, preventing Chelsea from extending their lead despite several opportunities.
Chelsea maintained their aggressive approach in the second half, but it was Harry Whitwell of West Brom who managed to equalize following a swift counter-attack. As the match seemed poised to end in a draw, Whitwell capitalized on a moment of hesitation from the Chelsea goalkeeper in stoppage time to score the decisive goal, leaving Chelsea to face defeat.
The match was marked by Chelsea’s persistent attacking efforts. Early on, Russell-Denny narrowly missed a goal, while Chelsea’s attacks continued with multiple attempts thwarted by West Brom defenders. Notable among them was a blocked shot by young Chelsea player Ato Ampah, whose attempt was denied by the crossbar.
Despite Chelsea’s dominance, West Brom improved their play with Akeel Higgins testing Chelsea’s goalkeeper multiple times. The visitors nearly took the lead when Devante Cole’s powerful shot went just wide, providing Chelsea a narrow escape.
Chelsea’s players, including Samuels-Smith and Vale, persisted in combining for offensive moves. The only breakthrough came when Russell-Denny scored from Samuels-Smith’s setup, which gave Chelsea their lead going into the halftime break.
West Bromwich Albion’s resilience paid off when Eseosa Sule’s counter-attacking play found Whitwell, who successfully beat Chelsea’s defense for the equalizer. The deciding moment arrived in injury time when Chelse goalkeeper Max Merrick lost possession under pressure, allowing Whitwell to score into an open net.
The defeat leaves Chelsea’s Under-21 squad eager to bounce back as they prepare to face League One side Bromley in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday evening at Hayes Lane.
