Luton Town 2-3 Chelsea
Chelsea have a double dose of cup football looming, with 6,000 Preston North End fans descending on SW6 at 5.30pm on Saturday 6 January for a third-round FA Cup clash.
Adding to the fun is the fact that the District Line will be suspended between Wimbledon and Parsons Green all day.
Then the Blues head north to play Middlesbrough on Tuesday in the first leg of the League Cup semis, with the return tie at the Bridge on 23 January.
Sandwiched between those fixtures is the little matter of the west London derby as Fulham hop on a bus for the short trip to Stamford Bridge at lunchtime on Saturday 13 January.
Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke are key to Chelsea progressing in both cups, with Madueke, an England U21 international and former striker for Dutch side PSV, gaining in confidence and, like Palmer, rapidly becoming a fans' favourite.
They’re both 21 (their birthdays are two months apart), and they gave the Blues a 3-0 lead at Luton which held – just – until the final whistle last weekend, despite the Hatters clawing back two goals to set up a nervy finish.
Palmer remained supercool in front of goal to score both of his efforts, with Madueke building on impressive recent showings as a sub to add a goal of his own.
It's too early to say whether they can drive Chelsea's long-awaited revival after the patchy first half of the current season, but it's looking promising.
Both players are blessed with agility, close ball control and daring, and both have a turn of pace which can get results. With too many other Chelsea players underperforming of late, their continued development seems crucial to the Blues' next five months.
It was Palmer's second goal against Luton last weekend that must make Manchester City wonder if the £42million they demanded of Chelsea for the young forward was criminal undervaluing.
He stopped, shimmied, advanced and scored in a slick movement which mean Gareth Southgate will surely choose him for the England squad in Germany this summer.
"Hopefully it's just the start," said Palmer after the Luton game. "I've adapted to a new life, new teammates and the city, and hopefully I can show more on the pitch as well."
Mauricio Pochettino, who describes Palmer as "decisive", is also warming to Madueke, whose name is now being chanted regularly by supporters, despite earlier hints that he might be loaned out.
Chelsea are setting new records for the overall youth of the teams they put out, with the selection for Saturday's game against North End likely to be one of the youngest in the club's entire history... despite defender Thiago Silva being 39! That all augers well for seasons ahead, but fans are hungry to see progress in the second half of this one too.
Not every young prospect is firing on all cylinders, with a question mark still hanging over 22-year-old striker Nico Jackson, but with Palmer and Madueke shaping up, the clouds of uncertainty are starting to clear from above Stamford Bridge.
Poch begins 2024 keen to tweak his squad. But with recent performances by the young stars of tomorrow, he may not need to go on as drastic a rebuilding programme as once seemed likely.
Chelsea Women are returning to full training after their winter break, and play West Ham at Kingsmeadow in the FA Cup in a week’s time before the visit of Manchester United at the big stadium when the Women’s Super League resumes on 21 January.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
