2 weeks Ago By Liam Happe
British fans who tuned in to Chelsea's 2-1 win over Newcastle at the weekend may have noticed some really interesting pre-match trivia on Sky TV's live coverage. It was confirmed that the young Blues side are the very first Premier League squad to play their first eight league fixtures without using a single player aged 28 or older. Then, goals from Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer either side of Alexander Isak's strike for the visitors not only left the London club in fifth place on 17 points, but made it nine games as an entirely 27-or-younger operation.
How long can Chelsea's squad age record run? This impressive feat (especially since the side are performing well so far) can potentially extend well beyond their current best of nine games. Following the departures of Thiago Silva and Raheem Sterling, Enzo Maresa's youthful crop would in fact find it tougher to field an over-27 than to continue this unique streak. In fact, it appears that the final number of games Chelsea can play this season while entirely under the age of 28 will continue until: While the first scenario is the most realistic and would end this record after an impressive half-season's worth of games, Chilwell has also been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge which would make his inclusion in a game between Dec.
21 and a hypothetical January transfer less likely, as well. The second scenario could happen, with Maresca being quoted as saying in the past that this young side lacks a proper leader —however something appears to be clicking right now, and that leadership may develop organically within this set of players without the need to recruit an established senior lynchpin. The third scenario, meanwhile, if it does come to fruition, would mean Chelsea go an entire Premier League season without using a single player aged 28 or older.
And it isn't anywhere near as farfetched as it seems it should be. Chelsea 'also set to be youngest average EPL squad' The Sky coverage also put up a graphic showing that, so far this season, the Chelsea 2024/25 squad is the youngest by average age in history. Youngest average age of starting XI.
🔗 Sky Sports #CFC | #Chelsea | #CheNew pic.twitter.com/t5D9QCpq4T At 23 years and 220 days on average, they are almost a full year younger than David O'Leary's 1999/2000 Leeds squad (24 years, 162 days on average), the squad that has been the youngest for over two decades.
While there are a lot of games left in this current campaign for the final Chelsea average age to change, with what we've already seen about the current set-up, it's highly unlikely anything stops them from being minted as the youngest ever squad come May 2025. MORE: All the latest Chelsea news | Premier League schedule for 2024/25 | Latest Premier League top scorer rankings.
