Analysis: Vision of Chelsea's future and Ajax's demise

Ten players aged 21 or younger featured for Chelsea in this non-contest in west London.

Forwards Estevao Willian, Marc Guiu and Tyrique George will all remember scoring their first Champions League goal while Reggie Walsh's record as the youngest player to play in the competition, having just turned 17 on Monday, could stand for some time after taking it from now-Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke.

Enzo Maresca's use of his players, with Josh Acheampong, Jorrel Hato, Romeo Lavia, Jamie Gittens and Facundo Buonanotte also being either 21 or younger, will have delighted the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

The only surprise was not seeing 16-year-old winger Ryan Kavuma-McQueen make his debut having made a senior matchday squad for the first time.

Chelsea have not used a player over 30 since the beginning of last season.

And this team selection and outing will have delighted the sporting directors and owners, who entered the dressing room again after the match, just as they do after every game regardless of the result.

They have purposely built the youngest team in the Premier League, which is also among the youngest in Europe's top five leagues, with a view to seeing them grow together and someday challenge for major honours.

It is a model akin to the one that Ajax, one of the great talent factories in European football, have been famed for.

However, the Amsterdam club look in disarray and are a shell of Erik ten Hag's team that drew 4-4 at Stamford Bridge with nine men in 2019, with their best academy product, Hato, having been poached by the Blues in the summer.