Billy sizes up Chelsea chance

LONDON: Billy Gilmour has set his sights on becoming a mainstay of the Chelsea midfield after the diminutive teenager proved he can stand up to the Premier League’s bully boys.

Gilmour delivered a coming-of-age performance as his smooth passing and tenacious tackling inspired Chelsea’s FA Cup fifth-round win over Liverpool on Tuesday. The 18-year-old was making only his third start for Chelsea, but he showed no signs of stage-fright against the runaway Premier League leaders.

Gilmour crunched into a tackle on Curtis Jones and cheekily nutmegged Fabinho to the delight of the Stamford Bridge crowd, who should see the youngster again when Everton visit west London on Sunday.

Mateo Kovacic is sidelined with an Achilles injury, while N’Golo Kante is still out with adductor trouble and Jorginho misses the match through suspension.

Those midfield issues for Blues boss Frank Lampard are likely to pave the way for Gilmour’s full Premier League debut. Even if all three were available, Lampard might well have stuck with Gilmour after his virtuoso effort against Liverpool. Gilmour, who stands just 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm) tall, had no doubts about his ability to mix it with the Premier League’s best after surviving a bruising encounter with Manchester United defender Harry Maguire.

The sight of Gilmour holding his own was no surprise to Lampard, who has been aware of the fresh-faced Scot since he swapped Glasgow Rangers for the Chelsea youth academy in 2017.