Chelsea's History Boys Show Their Substance in Youth Cup Final Win

STAMFORD BRIDGE, London — Chelsea’s youth team made history on Wednesday when they became the only side since the Manchester United team of the 1950s to win three FA Youth Cups on the bounce.

That’s five in seven seasons for the Blues, reinforcing just how dominant the club has become in youth football.

Facing Manchester City—the Blues’ same opponents at this stage last year—this was a different sort of Chelsea display to those we've seen in the past.

In 2015, it was about the likes of Izzy Brown, Charly Musonda and Dominic Solanke getting the crowd off their feet. Those players have the flair and panache to overcome City, but the class of 2016 showed there was substance beyond that individual brilliance.

As a spectacle, fans and neutrals will probably come away feeling underwhelmed by Chelsea’s 3-1 victory (4-2 on aggregate). They shouldn’t. Chelsea’s winning display was about playing football in the right sort of way.

Clive Rose/Getty Images

Joe Edwards’ side showed a level of composure and game management we’re not supposed to associate with youth footballers. It was a case of wise heads on young shoulders, which is where the biggest difference was between the teams.

That’s what impresses most about what Chelsea are achieving right now. They’re producing a generation of players who don’t just play on instinct; they take it to the next level by applying what they’re taught on the training pitch into game situations. We call that becoming better players.

That takes something special and is a true credit to the club’s youth coaches, especially Edwards and his assistant, Jody Morris. Players who work within a team framework and understand how to do it effectively back up all the hype we’re hearing about individuals.

From the dominant centre-back pairing of Jake Clarke-Salter and Fikayo Tomori, right through to Tammy Abraham up front, Chelsea’s under-18s play as a unit. They press together; they attack together; they defend together.

That’s where this game was won and lost. Chelsea controlled proceedings and sucked the life out of a City team who lacked the capacity to get a grip on things.

Chelsea’s youngsters showed a surprising amount of experience in that regard, knowing when and how to jab their opponents enough before throwing a right hook to floor them.

Given Chelsea’s record of transferring this dominance at junior level to the senior side, the naysayers will point to that as being a factor in where the club have struggled. That Chelsea are winning youth titles as a team, perhaps they’re not creating good enough individuals.

In the modern game, it’s those sorts of players who will flourish, however. The purpose of an academy should be to feed the first team, and Chelsea are producing talented individuals who fit in to the framework of what the club represents. We saw that in the UEFA Youth League final when they suffocated Paris Saint-Germain, and it was a similar performance that proved the difference against City.

Not at one stage did this game look like it was getting beyond Chelsea. In both legs, they were in total control, being the dominant force.

Ian Walton/Getty Images

Of course, the UEFA Youth League side was different to the under-18s who romped home in the FA Youth Cup. Some players featured in both competitions, but they were largely different in complexion.

The performances weren’t, and that is a reflection of the ethos being implemented from the bottom up at Stamford Bridge. The club is creating a culture that feeds from one level to the next.

Chelsea made history on Wednesday by doing things their way. Defeating City in the manner they did outlined that behind all this success, there’s real substance to it.

Now the challenge is to make it work where it really counts in the first team.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes