Chelsea Reserves 7 Tottenham Reserves 3

[TrueChelseaBlue 105]

RESERVES HAMMER SPURS

The reserves came out on top in a thrilling friendly encounter against Spurs at Cobham on Thursday afternoon, with Daniel Sturridge scoring five times in a 7-3 win. The forward hit a hat-trick inside the opening 10 minutes as the youngsters in blue tore their opponents apart before Spurs' counter-attacking play brought them back into the game, the scores 4-3 at half-time.

Chelsea rallied once more in the second half though, and could have had even more with the excellent Gael Kakuta passing up more than one opportunity to add to his strike, with Chelsea's other goal coming through Gokhan Tore, who completed the front three.

Chelsea took a lead inside five minutes when Sturridge converted a one-on-one opportunity after Jacob Mellis had slipped him through.

The striker doubled his tally before the 10-minute mark in almost identical fashion, this time Jacopo Sala the provider from central midfield.

Remarkably, within another two minutes the striker had his hat-trick, cutting inside his man and unleashing an unstoppable drive into the top corner. It was the perfect reminder of his capabilities to the watching Carlo Ancelotti and his assistant Michael Emenalo.

The 21-year-old then turned creator, first slipping in Kakuta whose shot was saved, and then beating his man and winning a free-kick on the edge of the area, Kakuta bending the shot just over.

Spurs hit back when Hilario palmed a low cross out but only as far as forward Jonathan Obika who prodded home.

Harry Kane then sent a shot over the Chelsea bar with only Hilario to beat, as both sides contrived to concede chances in the wet conditions.

A Chelsea breakaway involving Sala, Gokhan Tore and Kakuta ended with Sturridge firing marginally over the bar.

No matter, the next one would be clinical.

Josh McEachran, quiet to that point, won possession and Mellis fed Kakuta, who in turn played it perfectly into the running McEachran's path. The 17-year-old's touch in front of him was impeccable, and he then squared to goal-hungry Sturridge who swept home into the far corner.

It was the sort of goal the first team squad was scoring at will at the season's start. Viewers could not help but be impressed.

Kane struck a post for the visitors, before pulling another goal back when he reacted first to a loose ball, Hilario having palmed away a curling Andros Townsend free-kick that had bounced just in front of his dive.

Spurs pulled another back before the break, beating the Chelsea offaside trap with some Arsenal-esque passing and the finish slotted home into an empty net by Cameron Lancaster.

At half-time Chelsea replaced both centre-backs, but it was probably the Spurs pair wishing they had been spared further humiliation by the home forward line.

Van Aanholt galloped forward and crossed low for Kakuta, whose excellent touch found Sturridge in space with time to shoot low past Ben Alnwick for his fifth of the game.

It was high time the Frenchman had a goal of his own, and it duly arrived before the hour when Billy Clifford came forward down the right and played the ball inside to the waiting winger who had time to line up his shot and shoot high into the top corner from 12 yards.

The scoring was still not complete. Van Aanholt won possession on his flank, carried the ball forward and pulled back for Tore to side-foot home, Spurs defenders reduced merely to spectators.

Kakuta forced another save from Alnwick and then skewed the rebound wide as Chelsea continued to pour forward into the last 20 minutes. He repeated the feat shortly afterwards before the referee called time on a thrilling afternoon of football.

There will be a number of Steve Holland's side hoping to have done enough to impress Ancelotti ahead of Sunday's game against Ipswich Town in the FA Cup, not least Sturridge who matched the five goals scored by Fabio Borini against West Brom earlier in the season.

The second string's next competitive action is at home to Aston Villa on Wednesday, January 19.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Hilario (sub Ross Turnbull h-t); Billy Clifford (sub Conor Clifford 65), Daniel Mills Pappoe (sub Aziz Deen-Conteh h-t), Jeffrey Bruma (sub Nathaniel Chalobah h-t), Patrick Van Aanholt ©; Jacopo Sala, Josh McEachran, Jacob Mellis; Gokhan Tore (sub Milan Lalkovic 68), Daniel Sturridge (sub Adam Phillip 78) Gael Kakuta

Source - Chelsea FC

http://www.chelseafc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10268~2259895,00.html

[eldo 868]

Those two need to start against Ipswich!

[Fulham Broadway 17,365]

Right, play that lot against Ipswich and Blackburn

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Amen to that! And the thing is, I'm not even joking! The likes of Drogba, Anelka, Cole and so on can seriously fuck off for a bit to get their act together.

[Jose M 140]

Awsome result like to see Sturridge and kakuta in the thick of things. Any Videos yet??

[zolayes 14,489]

Amen to that! And the thing is, I'm not even joking! The likes of Drogba, Anelka, Cole and so on can seriously fuck off for a bit to get their act together.

let them play next reserve game against villa ....Im not joking either

[Peace. 4,352]

WOW ! Terrific performance. Carlo Ancelotti HAS to give a start to Sturridge against Ipswich and BlackBurn ! That being said, Borini has also scored five times in a game and everybody know what 'payback' he has been given.

Sturridge, Kakuta and PvA should start the two next games.

[Clevemayer 764]

I told you so before...

thats why i am saying carlo is at fault too, he seriously should have told kalou anelka drogs malouda and essien to piss off to the reserves for three or four matches...

for me right now without mikel this is our best possible line-up:

----------------------------------Cech

Bane/Bossy---Brane/Bruma-Terry--------PVA

------------------Ramy--------------------

------------------------------------Josh-----------

---------Lamps--------------------------Kakuta--

---------------------------Studge-

--------------------------------Drogs

1st you show the senior players no one is untouchabale

2nd if kakuta and josh are klicking together they'll get the shit out of any opponent

3rd lamps kakta and josh would combine absolutly brilliantly and lamps could feed drogs and studge

4th studge would shine in the 2nd striker role i'm sure

5th pva would bring in some speed

6th Mikel/Ramires would cover josh and give him full freedom (like in zillina 2nd half)

[Kostas 1,468]

So Sturridge, Hilario and Kakuta are demoted to Reserve football when players like Turnbull and Kalou are one injury away from starting for the champions of England?

Nothing makes sense these days.

[True_Blue 469]

Field the reserves!

[zolayes 14,489]

So Sturridge, Hilario and Kakuta are demoted to Reserve football when players like Turnbull and Kalou are one injury away from starting for the champions of England?

Nothing makes sense these days.

it makes sense to give them playing time ...now just hope they start at the weekend

[LDN Blue 7,903]

So Sturridge, Hilario and Kakuta are demoted to Reserve football when players like Turnbull and Kalou are one injury away from starting for the champions of England?

Nothing makes sense these days.

Maybe Sturridge will get 21minutes now.

[eldo 868]

Maybe Sturridge will get 21minutes now.

My african Sturridge should start, my african Drogba should be sitting on the bench. Don't stand his can't be arsed attitude.

[EskWeston 696]

Fantastic result for them and it looked a great performance. Certainly shouted to Carlo that a lot of these should be playing on Sunday. Would be criminal if Sturridge isn't started down the middle on Sunday. Kakuta should also play and Gokhan Tore would also be worth a go, he is having a good season and physically he could cope with it. Dissapointed again to see Josh dropped back to the holding role, such a f***ing waste, hope he doesn't play there on Sunday i want him controlling attacking play.

Still brilliant result for the lads.

[Ollie 4,400]

Wow, and against those bastard jews too, awesome stuff. I'm 100% sure that Kakuta and Sturridge will play against Ipswich and i can't wait for it. Van Aanholt must play too. Should be a cracking game and their Chelsea careers should really kick start if all goes well. A Kakuta performance will worry Kalou and Anelka so much that they might actually have to do something about it like... play well. Same goes for Sturridge too but depends where he plays, he is a striker by trade and this reserve match shows he ain't a bad one either. All made better that Carlo was there watching it too.

I still think Drogs should play tho, he needs goals and confidence so might play Sturridge and Kakuta out wide with Drogs in the middle. I'm also not sure what Danny is like as a lone striker, maybe we should experiment with a basic 4-4-2 with Lamps n Josh in the centre of Midfield. Kakuta and Malouda (or Kalou) out wide and Drogs and Danny up top. I'd love to see that. We should still win the game.

Looking forward to it.

[Jose M 140]

Fantastic result for them and it looked a great performance. Certainly shouted to Carlo that a lot of these should be playing on Sunday. Would be criminal if Sturridge isn't started down the middle on Sunday. Kakuta should also play and Gokhan Tore would also be worth a go, he is having a good season and physically he could cope with it. Dissapointed again to see Josh dropped back to the holding role, such a f***ing waste, hope he doesn't play there on Sunday i want him controlling attacking play.

Still brilliant result for the lads.

Hey Esk is there a video of the game by any chance?

[EskWeston 696]

Hey Esk is there a video of the game by any chance?

Yes, will be online tonight.

[eldo 868]

Can't wait.

[eldo 868]

[EskWeston 696]

Oi!! Someone else trying to muscle in on my action

Hoping to get longer highlights to put up later...