Winning the FA Youth Cup has become a rite of passage for Chelsea's dominant academy youngsters in recent times. The Blues have been finalists in seven of the last nine years and began their quest for a fourth consecutive triumph when they took on Cardiff City at Aldershot Town's EBB Stadium on Tuesday.
But if any of their rivals were looking for signs of anxiety under the weight of expectation, they found none here. After a tight first half, Chelsea blew Cardiff City away with four goals in seven second-half minutes, eventually coasting to a 5-0 victory against exhausted and dispirited opponents.