Chelsea U18 moved top of the Premier League South table with eighteen points after beating West Bromwich Albion 5–3 away on October 17. Heze Grimwade and Jacob Dako scored twice each, and Andrew Pennie added the fifth.
Harry French's hat-trick kept the hosts involved but could not prevent Chelsea's fourth consecutive league victory and sixth win in eight matches.
First-half exchanges
Pennie had an early effort ruled out for offside before Grimwade combined with Isaac McGillvary and finished from the edge of the area in the sixteenth minute.
Dako doubled the lead three minutes later with a heavily deflected free kick. French converted a penalty after 31 minutes to reduce the deficit.
Grimwade then scored directly from an inswinging corner, but French struck again in first-half added time to make it 3–2.
Chelsea extend their advantage
Six minutes after the interval, Dako reacted to Eden Perez's blocked shot, controlled the loose ball and scored from approximately twenty yards.
Pennie later had an attempt deflected wide, while substitute Ibrahim Rabbaj narrowly missed following patient possession. With twenty minutes remaining, Pennie raced onto a ball over the top from inside his own half and finished beyond the goalkeeper.
It was his ninth goal across all competitions for Chelsea U18 this season. French completed his hat-trick in the 86th minute, but the visitors retained their lead.
Chelsea's next scheduled U18 league match is against Ipswich at Cobham on October 24. Their first-place position describes the table when the club published its report.