Our opponents took an early lead from the penalty spot after Emilio Lawrence was brought down inside the area and Divin Mubama stepped up to score his first of the evening.

We remained in the game at half-time, looking to recover the one-goal deficit, but after the break Man City remained on the front foot. They doubled their lead with a powerful strike from Matty Henderson-Hall and struck again soon after, Mubama getting the decisive touch from close range.

The striker completed his hat-trick with a close-range header from Lawrence's floating corner. In the closing stages, Ryan McAidoo finished the scoring after being sent clear by a long clearance, as we pushed forward in search of a consolation goal.

Difficult start

Chelsea didn’t have the easiest opening at the Joie Stadium, as the hosts found the back of the net three minutes in. Justin Oboavwoduo played a pass to Lawrence, who drove into the area and went to down under a challenge from Brodi Hughes.

City's striker Mubama stepped up to take the penalty, and although our keeper Ted Curd dived the right way and got a hand to it, the shot was too powerful, finding the bottom corner and giving our opponents an early advantage.

Despite the setback, the Blues responded by applying pressure and regaining possession, coming close to levelling the score through a well-executed set-piece. Ato Ampah delivered a whipped-in corner that found Hughes, who leaped highest to meet it with a powerful header. However, the attempt bounced just inches wide of the near post, giving City’s goalkeeper a lucky escape.

City soon responded with a chance of their own from a corner. Seb Naylor sent a floating ball to the back post, where Max Alleyne met it with his head, but his effort flew over the bar.

More City chances came and went, including a crucial save from Curd between the sticks. First, Mubama fired a shot straight down the middle, but our keeper dealt comfortably pushed the attempt away. Then, Charlie Gray’s low, stinging strike from a tight angle crashed against the post, much to City’s disappointment.

As the game passed the 40-minute mark, the hosts threatened again. Gray made a precise square-pass into the penalty area, finding Henderson-Hall. From close range, his sliding effort rolled just wide of the post, handing Chelsea a lifeline as we went into the break behind by one.

Tough restart

Unfortunately, when the second half began, it was Manchester City who struck early again, capitalising on a loose ball from an attempted Chelsea clearance to double their lead. Oboavwoduo chipped a pass into the box, finding Henderson-Hall in space. This time he made no mistake with the finish.

City soon added a third. The move started from a short corner taken by Lawrence, eventually reaching Gray outside the area. He floated in a cross, which Henderson-Hall met with a header from a tight angle. Curd reacted well to get his fingertips to it, but the ball fell kindly for Mubama to poke in the rebound.

City's fourth came soon after, with Mubama completing his hat-trick. A quick counter-attack saw Lawrence advance down the wing and deliver a looping cross for Mubama to head home.

Moments later, Mubama had two consecutive goals disallowed for offside, both coming from tap-in finishes after crosses. However, City eventually got a fifth when McAidoo was set free on the halfway line by a high ball, lifting the ball over our onrushing keeper as a disappointing evening for the Blues approached its end.

What's next

Chelsea Under-21s now shift our focus to the Premier League Cup, as we host Ipswich Town in a last-16 knockout tie at Kingsmeadow on Friday 7 March, with a 7pm kick-off. Tickets are still available at our updated Academy ticket pricing. Season ticket holders (both men's and women's), members and under-20s are eligible for a free ticket, while general admission is £4.

Alternatively, the match will be live-streamed free of charge on the official Chelsea website and app, via our Chelsea Under-21s vs Ipswich Town Match Centre or by visiting the homepage shortly before kick-off.

The teams

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Ted Curd; Brodi Hughes, Harrison Murray-Campbell, Landon Emenalo, Ishe Samuels-Smith (c); Harrison McMahon, Ollie Harrison; Ato Ampah (Chizaram Ezenwata 83), Kiano Dyer (Leo Cardoso 76), Ronnie Stutter; Donnell McNeilly (Genesis Antwi 71)
Unused subs: Luke Campbell, Kaiden Wilson
Booked: Dyer 42, Murray-Campbell 90+1

Manchester City (4-4-2): Spike Brits, Lakyle Samuel (Ezra Carrington 74), Max Alleyne, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (c), Seb Naylor (Christian McFarlane 80), Charlie Gray, Matty Henderson-Hall (Ryan McAidoo 74), Jaden Heskey, Divin Mubama, Justin Obavwoduo (Michael Okeke 80), Emilio Lawrence
Unused sub: Oliver Whatmuff
Scorers: Mubama pen 3, 52, 67, Henderson-Hall 47, McAidoo 86
Booked: Simpson-Pusey 40, Oboavwoduo 42