One former Chelsea wonderkid scored an excellent goal on Saturday afternoon and achieved an important milestone.
Blues fans are currently unhappy with the club in such poor form (two wins in the last nine Premier League games).
Enzo Maresca has suddenly come under pressure and the consensus is that many of the first-team players are not good enough.
Perhaps the only thing that Chelsea supporters are still unanimously positive about is the academy, so here’s a look at what one homegrown talent did this weekend.
Chelsea academy graduate Lewis Baker scores incredible goal
Lewis Baker was undoubtedly one of Chelsea’s top prospects when he emerged from the academy over a decade ago.
An ex-Blues scout even claimed that midfield duo Baker and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were “better than” Dele Alli at the time.
But the 29-year-old never reached the levels of either Loftus-Cheek or Dele and only made two senior appearances for Chelsea in 11 seasons.
With eight loan spells, he never spent more than two campaigns (Vitesse Arnhem 2015-2017) at the same club.
That all changed when he finally departed Stamford Bridge on a permanent transfer to Championship side Stoke City in January 2021.
Baker has played for the Potters ever since and now, at 29 years of age, he just scored an exceptional goal that he will probably never top until he retires.
Baker’s long-range effort helped Stoke to an important 3-1 victory over Swansea as they look to avoid relegation to League One.
Several supporters of the Staffordshire club subsequently took to X to share their thoughts on the “goal of the season” contender.
One wrote: “Mate what have I just seen I love you Lewis.” Another added: “That’s absolutely outrageous!”
“Charlie Adam 2.0 what a screamer,” a Stoke fan Tweeted. “Baker goal of the season confirmed what a goal,” one posted.
One supporter said: “What a goal, he needs a 3-year contract.” A Potters fan commented: “Goal of the season, in all leagues! Come on Stoke.”
Lewis Baker reaches impressive Stoke City milestone
Baker’s goal wasn’t the only reason Saturday’s match against Swansea was one to remember. It was the midfielder’s 100th game for Stoke in all competitions.
The former Chelsea man has now played at the bet365 Stadium for four years and has consistently been an important figure, besides a short loan to Blackburn Rovers this season.
He’s never scored a goal as impressive as this one but his record suggests that it wasn’t a complete fluke. 22 goals (one every four-and-a-half games) is certainly impressive for a ‘number eight’.
Baker’s job now is to help Stoke avoid relegation from the Championship for the first time since 1990, especially with his contract up at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
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