The Blues were eager to bounce back after the disappointment of last week's Premier League International Cup exit, and we did just that. On a cold evening at Kingsmeadow, we started strong in front of our home crowd and controlled the majority of the match against Reading.

Jimmy-Jay Morgan opened the scoring in the first half with a composed finish, slotting home a squared pass from Ato Ampah that left the Reading keeper no chance at the end of a brilliant team move. That goal gave us the momentum to push forward with confidence.

We continued to dominate, playing exciting attacking football and were rewarded with a second goal from our No9, Donnell McNeilly. The striker capitalised on a corner delivered by Ampah, reacting quickly to a loose ball to smash a shot into the top corner and give us a 2-0 lead heading into half-time.

The restart saw the pace intensify. Chances came thick and fast, but it wasn’t until the final minute of the 90 that we found our third goal. Substitute Reiss Russell-Denny curled home a superb finish, capping off a brilliant evening of football and securing a 3-0 win for the Blues.

Building momentum

Chelsea started the game brightly in the first of two matches for our Under-21s this week, driving upfield straight away. Ishe Samuels-Smith and Zak Sturge worked well together on the left wing, applying early pressure on Reading's backline.

However, the Royals quickly settled into the game, finding their rhythm with an aggressive press. Despite that, our defenders, particularly centre-backs Harrison Murray-Campbell and Travis Akomeah, were united, winning possession of the ball effectively within our penalty area.

Samuels-Smith remained lively, surging into open spaces and driving the ball forward in search of striker McNeilly. He whipped dangerous balls across the face of goal, making it clear to our Monday-night opponents that we were determined to claim all three points.

Right-back Brodi Hughes was next to shine, sprinting down the wing and delivering a precise cut-back. Samuel Rak-Sakyi connected with the cross, but his header lacked accuracy and drifted off target.

After a brief spell of cagey play, winger Ampah used his blistering speed to escape his marker and unleashed a powerful strike from a tight angle. His venomous effort was somehow intercepted by Louie Holzman, whose outstretched leg spared the visiting keeper from being tested.

No stopping us

That was Reading's final warning. Chelsea soon found the opener and it was a moment of brilliance. The move began with Rak-Sakyi winning the ball in the centre circle, allowing McNeilly to launch a swift counter-attack and thread a perfect through-ball to Ampah. The winger made a lightning-fast run down the channel and unselfishly squared to Morgan, who tapped it into the bottom corner, leaving Tom Norcott helpless.

Reading tried to respond. Jack Senga found space and spotted striker Joe Barough, who attempted a cheeky chip toward goal. Max Merrick was alert, making a comfortable catch.

Chelsea’s confidence grew as Morgan came close to doubling his tally. Hughes once again impressed out wide, maneuvering past a defender and picking out Morgan in a promising position. However, his powerful strike narrowly missed, hitting the side netting. It was a close call for Reading.

With five minutes left in the first half, McNeilly came alive again. His stinging low shot forced Norcott into action, who did well to push the effort out for a corner, but the Blues’ relentless pressure would soon pay off.

Being ruthless

The second goal came from a Chelsea set-piece. Ampah delivered a dangerous corner into the penalty area and McNeilly was the quickest to react when it ricocheted off a pair of defenders at the back post, smashing the ball into the top corner with a powerful finish.

The Blues continued to press, pinning the away side back and maintaining control as the first half ended with a commanding 2-0 lead.

We came out for the second period with the same intensity we had shown in the opening 45 minutes. Morgan was the first to come close, nearly finding the back of the net after linking up well with Ampah, who was chasing his third assist of the evening.

Sturge was becoming increasingly threatening and produced a clever cut-back for McNeilly, whose powerful low shot was somehow stopped by the Reading keeper.

We were clearly enjoying the flow of the game. The Royals had another lucky escape when Hughes came agonisingly close to scoring. His stunning curled effort looked destined for the top corner, but Norcott leaped high to tip the ball over the bar.

Despite our dominance, there was a nail-biting moment when Reading came close to capitalising on a loose back-pass. When Charlie Wellens sprinted onto the ball and caught Merrick off his line, it looked certain he would tap into an empty net, but Murray-Campbell came to the rescue with an incredible sliding goal-line clearance to protect our clean sheet.

The action quickly swung the other way as Chelsea piled pressure on the Royals. Both of our scorers kept Norcott busy in goal. Morgan struck first with a powerful effort, but the keeper managed to smother it. Soon after, McNeilly tested the Norcott with a close-range strike, but the Royals' shot stopper reacted quickly, diving low to make the save.

Filipe Coelho then turned to his bench, bringing on fresh energy. One substitute, Russell-Denny, made an immediate impact. The Portuguese coach also handed 17-year-old Harry McGlinchey his Under-21s debut, marking a milestone for the defender.

Super sub

Russell-Denny made a quick impression after coming on and deservedly scored with a finish that reflected his composed play.

The goal came after a strong run from Hughes, who carried the ball upfield before delivering a precise pass to Russell-Denny. The midfielder cut inside, exchanged a simple one-two with Hughes and unleashed a stunning low strike. The ball curled beautifully, hitting the inside of the far post before finding its way into the back of the net.

Chelsea held strong for the remaining four minutes of stoppage time, with the final goal sealing the game and securing our first victory of 2025 in fine fashion.

What is next

Chelsea Under-21s will continue our Premier League 2 campaign with an away trip to Nottingham Forest on Friday evening, which will be shown live on the official Chelsea website and app, kicking off at 7pm at the Loughborough University Stadium.

The teams

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Max Merrick (c); Brodi Hughes, Travis Akomeah, Harrison Murray-Campbell, Ishe Samuels-Smith; Harrison McMahon (Reiss Russell-Denny 77), Samuel Rak-Sakyi; Ato Ampah, Jimmy-Jay Morgan (Harry McGlinchey 88), Zak Sturge (Richard Olise 79); Donnell McNeilly
Unused subs: Hudson Sands, Kaiden Wilson
Scorers: Morgan 24, McNeilly 42, Russell-Denny 89

Reading (4-2-3-1): Tom Norcott, Ashqar Ahmed, Boyd Beacroft, Jack Senga, Michael Stickland (c), Louie Holzman, Charlie Wellens, Jacob Borgnis, Joe Barough (Larry Omoregie 84), Tyler Sackey, Emmanuel Osho
Unused subs: Verrell George, Harrison Rhone, Sam Harrison, Kai Source
Booked: Holzman 16