The era of Frank Lampard is well and truly underway at Stamford Bridge. The new manager has given Chelsea a fresh identity, and it has taken England by storm.
Historically, the Blues have struggled to create a pathway for academy stars to progress into the first team, with John Terry the only player to have made a real impact in recent years. However, Lampard has given opportunities to the likes of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori, who have all thoroughly impressed in the top flight.
Made in Chelsea! pic.twitter.com/1cxAaubv5A
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 14, 2019
As noted by Gary Lineker, Chelsea have already given more minutes to players under the age of 21 this season than in any campaign since 2005, and this season is just five games old.
The minutes will keep rolling in for the young Blues, with Abraham, Mount and Tomori all proving to be vital parts of the squad. The trio have combined for all of Chelsea's 11 goals this season, and Opta noted that the Blues are the first team in Premier League history to have 11 consecutive goals scored by players aged 21 or under.
The average age of Chelsea's goalscorers this season has been 21 years and 124 days, which is the youngest average from any of the 98 teams in Europe's top five leagues this season.
Lampard showed his commitment to young players during his time with Derby County last season, and it was a vital part of Chelsea's decision to bring him in to replace Maurizio Sarri.
The Italian was the first manager in the Roman Abramovich era to go an entire season without giving an academy player a first-team debut, which contributed to his lack of popularity in London.
Source : 90min