Izzy Brown Inspires Chelsea to Another FA Youth Cup Final
STAMFORD BRIDGE, LONDON—Chelsea reached their fourth consecutive FA Youth Cup Final on Wednesday with a convincing win over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
From 2-0 down after the first leg of this semi-final, Joe Edwards’ youngsters went 1-0 down on the night before an incredible show of character saw them overturn a three-goal aggregate deficit to win 5-2 on the night, 5-4 overall.
It was reminiscent of what we witnessed here last season, when a similar comeback in the final against Fulham sealed Chelsea the trophy.
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Two of the stars that night almost 12 months ago were Dominic Solanke and Izzy Brown. When their team-mates needed them this time out, they didn’t disappoint, either.
Solanke bagged a brace to get Chelsea going on the night, while Brown chipped in with a couple of assists.
It was the latter who really showed his class, too.
Turning 18 in January, this is Brown’s last season of being eligible for Youth Cup football, and it meant he was one of the more senior players who featured at Stamford Bridge.
It was much more than his age that made Brown stand out, though. He was exceptional.
The former West Bromwich Albion midfielder comes with a big profile in these parts, and it’s a good sign of his character that he took this game by the scruff of the neck when it needed it.
Chelsea had been in control early on, but with the cushion of their goal advantage from that 2-0 victory at White Hart Lane a fortnight before, Spurs were playing with enough about them to suggest they had more goals in their repertoire.
When they took the lead through Shayon Harrison midway through the first-half, that was the moment things changed.
It unleashed Brown. It was as though he had seen enough and only he could put things right.
Within seconds he almost teed up Tammy Abraham for a tap-in, but the prolific striker just failed to latch on to his cross.
It wasn’t long before Solanke made the difference, though, pegging Spurs back to get Chelsea up and running.
Whenever Brown was in possession, Chelsea were a threat. He was tormenting his opposite number in the way we’ve seen Eden Hazard tear through opponents this season.
It’s not inflating Brown’s brilliance to draw comparisons with any of Chelsea’s first-team stars, either.
He showed against Spurs that Jose Mourinho is right to talk him up as a future star of Chelsea.
Of course, he has to do it beyond Youth Cup matches if he’s to fulfill that incredible potential, yet he’s making the right moves at the right time.
Speaking to Bleacher Report at the final whistle, Chelsea’s under-18s coach Edwards spoke of feeling the pressure at reaching a fourth Youth Cup final in a row.
Chelsea are dominating this competition right now, and having come through the club’s academy system himself, Edwards is all too aware of what it means to progress in the competition.
"I'm waiting for my grey hairs to start coming through," stated the Chelsea boss, reflecting on how his team had put him through the wringer over the course of the tie.
"The way we play, we always like to go out and attack. We're always capable of scoring goals [...] We had every confidence we could score goals tonight.
"[...] These are big nights for the boys. You can talk about tactics and everything that goes with it, but when you come out in front of a crowd in a big stadium, you need to see how they handle it. They need to be ready for the test.
"[...] It's probably the biggest achievement of my life and my coaching career. Being around it for the past few years there was an element of pressure, that it was three in a row, and we don't know what it's like to go out the Youth Cup before the final."
That same pressure was as much on Edwards’ players as it was him. It was on the likes of Solanke, Jeremie Boga and Brown, too.
They’re the players who have succeeded in this competition before, and they needed to show their continued progress, that last season’s success on their watch wasn’t a fluke against that talented Fulham side.
And that’s where Brown impressed most.
He didn’t let that expectation overcome him. Indeed, he reveled in it and flourished to produce an exceptional performance that outlines his promise.
It would be unfair to not acknowledge the others in this Chelsea side, notably the impressive Jay Dasilva on the left side of defence and captain Charlie Colkett, another member of the Class of 2014.
Colkett himself scored an outrageous free-kick to put Chelsea ahead overall in the tie, fooling the Spurs goalkeeper.
Brown stood out, though, and whoever Chelsea face in the final—Leicester City and Manchester City still have their semi-final second leg to play—they’re going to have a job stopping him.
We’ve read and heard so much about him in recent times, but remember the name Izzy Brown. Spurs certainly will.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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