Chelsea are starting to see their staggering investments in the transfer window pay dividends on the pitch.
In the 4-1 victory over rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Nicolas Jackson plundered in a second-half hat-trick to lead his side to victory against nine men, preceding a penalty from Cole Palmer – two players who were brought to the club in the summer from Villarreal and Manchester City, respectively.
On Sunday, that duo played a pivotal role once more, getting their name on the scoresheet in an enthralling encounter with City that ended 4-4, with Palmer smashing a penalty past Ederson in the 95th minute, equalising proceedings against his former employers.
Throughout that captivating fixture, it wasn't just the new boys who starred. Chelsea's current longest-serving player, Reece James, put in a monstrous performance down the right flank for the Blues.
Reece James' statistics against Manchester City
A fully fit and firing James is arguably the best right back on the planet, as hailed on several occasions by many, including Ian Wright.
“He’s easily one of the best right-backs in the world at the minute,” Wright said on Match of the Day after James scored twice against Newcastle United in November 2021.
Since that outstanding 2021/22 campaign, in which he recorded five goals and nine assists in the Premier League – the joint most goal contributions from a full-back in the division – the Englishman has seen injuries hamper his progression further.
A series of knee and hamstring issues saw him only make 16 appearances in the top flight last term but since returning from his latest injury, which saw him miss nine games at the start of this campaign, the 23-year-old has been nothing short of phenomenal.
He's captained the side in the Carabao Cup win over Blackburn Rovers, victory against Spurs and draw with Man City, but it was the latter of those performances that impressed the most.
Not only did he assist Raheem Sterling for his goal, but he also made the most tackles in the match (5) and pocketed the dangerous Jeremy Doku, won six of his nine ground duels and accurately placed three of his four long balls, as per Sofascore.
Lauded as "sensational" for his performance against the champions by journalist Felix Johnston as Doku struggled to get past a seemingly immovable object, James provided a searing indication of his qualities.
Yet, it seems remarkable that a fellow right back, currently plying his trade in Chelsea's youth setup, has also sparkled of late and could well be a future heir to the Englishman's crown.
Josh Acheampong's statistics this season
Aspiring to break into the first team as James did, Aceampong is a 17-year-old right back who joined the development centre programme as an U8 and has the capabilities to play in multiple positions across the back line.
While he's operated as a centre-back on numerous occasions – as James can also do – the teenager boasts the explosive pace and power that has seen him flourish as an attacking wing-back.
At the age of 16, he stepped up to Chelsea's under-18's last term, making ten appearances in Premier League 2 – scoring three goals from right back – including a thunderous match-winner against rivals Tottenham in November 2022.
It's this outstanding form, especially in attack, that has seen him feature a further five times for the under-18s, grabbing one assist, while his rapid rate of development rewarded him with a call-up to the England U17 World Cup, where he played a starring role in the tournament opener.
The Young Lions demolished New Caledonia 10-0 and the Chelsea starlet, who was dubbed by journalist Antonio Mango as "sensational" for his performance, scored and assisted in a near-faultless display.
Goals
1
Assists
1
Accurate passes
98%
Key passes
2
Long balls (acc.)
3 (3)
Aerial duels (won)
2 (1)
Interceptions
2
All stats via Sofascore
With a fixture against Brazil to close out the group phase, it will be interesting to see how the youngster performs against opposition with much more quality, but on current evidence, the future is certainly bright for Chelsea's latest homegrown full-back phenomenon.
