Tomori latest to fulfill Chelsea dream, looks to keep building on it

Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount have been spearheading Chelsea’s youth revolution, on the pitch and in the headlines (for better or worse), but this past weekend, a third youngster joined the spotlight. Fikayo Tomori, with credentials just as strong as those two, announced himself to the world with a wonderstrike and a dynamic, assured performance overall at center back.

For head coach Frank Lampard, this was surely not a surprise, having already coached Tomori last season at Derby County (just like Mason Mount). Confidence was certainly not an issue for Tomori either, especially after winning Derby’s Player of the Season honors. But being able to represent his boyhood club, the club he’s called home since age 7, is another thing entirely. For him, and all the other Academy kids, this season is already a dream come true.

“It is a dream come true, really. Me, Mason and Tammy have been here since we were seven years old and to come through the ranks, all the players that have come before us, in the same team as us.

“For us to be in this position now we just want to make the most of it and we are just thankful that we are getting our chance as well. We’re going to take it.”

A little over a month into the youth revolution, Chelsea’s results have been rather mixed. But Saturday’s 5-2 win could be the start of something truly exciting. The schedule ahead is not exactly easy, especially the next two games, including Valencia tonight and Liverpool this weekend, and Tomori knows that Chelsea will need to play at least as well as against Wolves.

“Obviously it isn’t my job to score goals but for Tammy and Mason it is and they have been doing that and playing well at the same time.

“Me chipping in on Saturday, it is always nice to score and more importantly to get the win, we really needed it as a team and hopefully we can kick on, put that same performance in, or a better one, against Valencia [in the Champions League].”

It remains to be seen if the reintroduction of the Conte-esque 3-4-3 (though not nearly as wing-focused) in the last game was a one-off or the new go-to formation for Lampard, but for many, including most players, it was a return of something familiar and something proven — either while playing under the aforementioned Conte, or while playing in the youth teams where current assistants Jody Morris and Joe Edwards often utilized that tactical setup as well.

Tomori was clearly comfortable on the left side of the three-man back line, though as he says, the tactics are only as good as the players’ execution.

“I think all of us have played in a three. We’re all comfortable with it and I think we all wanted to make it work.

“The most important thing today was getting the three points, that is what we wanted to do. The manager made it clear that it is not really the system, it is about how we implement it. Playing well, together, allowing us to be free so we just tried to do that as much as possible.”

-Fikayo Tomori; Source: London Evening Standard

Whether in a three, or a four, or any other number, Tomori will be looking to make it three starts in a row for Chelsea, as he continues to build a strong future on his Chelsea dream.