Chelsea Under-21s fought back from a goal down with a Shumaira Mheuka hat-trick to secure victory in Harry Hudson’s first match in charge and move up to third place in the Premier League 2 table.
Chelsea took to the pitch in the Premier League 2 for the first time in two months, due to the Academy winter break and our involvement in cup fixtures. We did so under new leadership too, with Hudson in the dugout as Under-21s head coach for the first time since stepping up to replace Calum McFarlane, who has joined Liam Rosenior’s senior coaching staff.
Chelsea were on top during a first-half which ended in stalemate, but fell behind early in the second when Crystal Palace’s David Obou turned in a loose ball from close range. We recovered from that set-back quickly, though, equalising through Leo Cardoso.
Captain Mheuka then took over to lead by example, giving us the lead with a powerful shot after being teed up by Reggie Walsh. The striker then gave us a safety margin by heading Genesis Antwi‘s cross in off the post, before combining brilliantly with Walsh to volley in the midfielder’s cheeky chip and put the icing on the cake of a deserved victory.
Palace under pressure
It was an awkward start by Palace as they kicked off the game, going back to their keeper and trying to play out, but making a mess of things under pressure from Mheuka and Jesse Derry. It was the same story soon afterwards, when Derry we close to punishing the keeper for a poor first touch, but the visitors got away with it on both occasions.
The Blues were looking far more comfortable on the ball and saw plenty of it during early stages of the game, probing for an opportunity to open the scoring. That nearly arrived 10 minutes in, when Walsh was played into the left-hand channel and squared across goal, but the ball was nicked off Mheuka’s toe by a defender just as he looked poised to convert from close range.
Crystal Palace’s threat was reduced to the occasional counter, although Max Merrick had to be alert to keep out Sebastian Williams’ curling effort from range, before Mheuka fired just wide of the near post after bringing down Derry’s cross on his chest.
A lengthy break in play as two Palace players needed treatment allowed the visitors to regroup, and they enjoyed their best spell so far midway through the first half. It didn’t last long though, and Chelsea were soon threatening again, through a dangerous low cross by Antwi on the right, before Mheuka flashed a low drive narrowly wide from a tight angle.
Goalless at the break
Neither team was able to find the breakthrough before half-time, despite Chelsea going the closest yet right at the end of stoppage time. Cardoso was fouled and Derry curled in the free-kick, which was met by a towering Mheuka header, but Jackson Izquierdo flung himself across his goal to turn it around the post.
It had been Chelsea’s wide play which had looked most likely to produce a goal during the opening 45 minutes, Derry causing his former club problems on the left while Antwi and Cardoso combined well on the right. That was again the case when the action resumed.
Five minutes into the second half, the Blues started to put Crystal Palace under real pressure. The referee came to their rescue when an Ollie Harrison corner caused chaos, awarding a soft foul against the keeper, then Mheuka and Cardoso had shots charged down in the box in quick succession.
However, just as we were increasing the pressure, it was the away side who opened the scoring at Cobham, against the run of play with their first real attack of the second half. The initial low cross from the left was cut out well by Harrison, but Obou pounced to turn in the rebound from six yards.
Blues fight back
We didn’t waste any time turning the game around after the disappointment of the Crystal Palace goal. The Blues trailed for less than five minutes before levelling the scores and it was no surprise that one of our ever-dangerous wingers provided the equaliser, Cardoso firing in to cancel out the opening goal.
Cardoso made way soon after, being replaced by Ato Ampah, and the substitute made an instant impact. His skill gave him room to cross deep from the left and, although Derry’s header was saved, it was a warning to Palace.
It wasn’t heeded, and Chelsea soon took the lead for the first time in the game. There had been a couple of opportunities for the Blues to shoot, but both were charged down in a chaotic series of ricochets, before Walsh showed great composure. When the ball broke to Walsh in the box, he calmly laid it off for Mheuka to smash a high shot towards goal. It had too much power for Izquierdo to keep it out of the net despite getting fingertips to it.
No letting up
Chelsea weren’t finished there and began pushing hard for a third goal to make the three points secure. Derry had a vicious low drive from the edge of the box deflected wide by a matter of inches, before another weaving run by Ampah took him into the area and his shot bounced narrowly wide of the far post from a difficult angle.
The third Chelsea goal arrived with a little under five minutes remaining. It came at the end of a fine period of possession which will no doubt have pleased new head coach Hudson as the Blues moved the ball around nicely. That gave Antwi the time and space on the right to pick out Mheuka perfectly with a fine cross, which the skipper took full advantage of to head in off the left-hand post.
The best was saved for last, though, as Mheuka completed his hat-trick in style in added time to make the final score 4-1. Walsh gets plenty of credit for his outrageous scooped pass over the Palace defence, but there was still a lot for the Chelsea skipper to do as he waited for the ball to drop over his shoulder before unleashing a volley into the top corner. What a way to start 2026 in the Premier League 2!
What it means
The win takes Chelsea ahead of Manchester United and into third place in the Premier League 2 table, narrowly behind Fulham on goal difference and just one point short of leaders Ipswich Town.
What is next
Chelsea are back in Premier League 2 action with another London derby on Monday 19 January, when we travel away to West Ham United for a 7pm kick-off. The game will be shown live for free on the Chelsea Official App and website.
Before then, the younger members of this squad could be involved for the Under-18s when we go away to Reading in the FA Youth Cup at 7pm on Wednesday 14 January.
The teams
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Max Merrick; Genesis Antwi, Kaiden Wilson, Olutayo Subuloye, Landon Emenalo; Ollie Harrison, Kiano Dyer (Samuel Rak-Sakyi 65); Leo Cardoso (Ato Ampah 65), Reggie Walsh, Jesse Derry; Shumaira Mheuka (c)
Unused subs: Freddy Bernal, Justin Osagie, Dujuan Richards
Scorers: Cardoso 61, Mheuka 69, 86, 90+3
Crystal Palace (3-5-2): Jackson Izquierdo; Chadi Riad (Charlie Walker-Smith h-t), Mofe Jemide, Jacob Fasida; Jasper Judd, Sebastian Williams (Dylan Reid 90), Joseph Gibbard, Matteo Dashi, Tyler Whyte; Hindolo Mustapha (Adler Nascimento 62), David Obou (Asher Agbinone 73)
Unused sub: Rylan Brownlie
Scorer: Obou 55