What does the average 18-year-old do? Revise for exams? Binge watch TV series for weeks on end? Or catch the football in the pub with their mates, bragging that they're better than all those overpaid prima donnas on the pitch, right?
Well, Billy Gilmour is living every teenager's dream, and he is fast becoming one of the Premier League's most exciting young talents. The young Scotsman picked up the man of the match award in Chelsea's 2-0 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup on Tuesday evening, and he then went on to do the same in the Blues' swashbuckling 4-0 victory against Everton.
The Toffees will be glad to see the back of the midfield maestro.
Gilmour was majestic in possession, and showed an experience and confidence well beyond his 18 years during a rampant display. Nizaar Kinsella pointed out on Twitter that the midfielder completed 74 passes over the course of the game - which was more than anyone else on the pitch and with an accuracy of 93%.
It wasn't just his quick feet and eye for a ball which caught everyone's attention, though. Gilmour also put in the hard yards, covering 12.62km against the Toffees - again, more than any other Chelsea player.
It's hard to believe that it was the starlet's first league start for the Blues. In fact, according to Opta, Gilmour became the first outfield Scottish player to start a Premier League match for Chelsea since Steve Clarke in May 1998.
We're not saying that the Scotsman is just a wee lad, but that fixture took place more than three years before Gilmour was born. Wowzers.
It's not all about the teenage sensation, however. It was a fantastic team performance from the Blues, and particularly from their exciting homegrown talents. Mason Mount opened the Chelsea account for the afternoon, and in doing so notched the Blues' 21st goal via an English player this season.
That record puts the Blues behind only Leicester City (31) and Southampton (24) in the table of highest English scorers, as Frank Lampard's revolution continues to bear fruit.
Speaking of young and talented prospects, the Blues used three 18-year-olds over the course of the 90 minutes against Everton, with Faustino Anjorin and Armando Broja making second-half appearances when the game was already wrapped up.
But we have to go back to May 2016 for the last time we saw so many toddlers wandering around a Premier League pitch, when West Brom pulled off the same feat against Liverpool. All hail Billy the kid and his band of brothers.
Three more goals followed Mount's excellent early strike, and the 4-0 scoreline meant that Chelsea actually registered their biggest Premier League victory since a 5-0 win over Huddersfield Town in February 2019.
Spanish winger Pedro doubled the tally in the first half, having set up the game's opening goal on what was a rare afternoon of joy for the ex-Barcelona man. The 32-year-old had only been involved in two goals in his previous 21 Premier League matches beforehand.
But when Pedro does score, it usually promises to be a celebratory evening in west London. The Blues have incredibly won all 24 matches in which the Spaniard has found the net at the Bridge, in a record that stretches across all competitions. Their lucky charm.
Same again next week then, lads?
Source :
90min
