For a team mostly made up of eye-wateringly expensive embryonic talents, it’s almost surprising it took Chelsea as long as it did to field their youngest-ever starting XI. 

But without the services of 39-year-old defensive general Thiago Silva lining up against Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening, Mauricio Pochettino put his faith in youth to field a starting side with an average age of just 23 years and 21 days. 

In doing so, the west London side became the youngest to turn out for a top-flight game since Manchester United – also versus Crystal Palace – in 2017, when Jose Mourinho opted to play the kids in a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford. 

Here, Mail Sport runs the rule over every Premier League side’s youngest starting side and their successes – or lack thereof.  

Chelsea fielded a side with an average age of 23 years and 21 days against Crystal Palace

Mauricio Pochettino also handed Alfie Gilchrist (pictured) his senior team debut at home

The last time a squad that young was fielded was by Jose Mourinho at Manchester United in 2017 (pictured after the final whistle)

Chelsea – 23 years, 21 days 

Chelsea 2-1 Crystal Palace – December 27, 2023

Starting XI: Petrovic, Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Caicedo, Gallagher, Mudryk, Nkunku, Maatsen, Jackson

Mauricio Pochettino’s side at times looked every bit as young and naive as their club record-breaking average, and it was to no one’s surprise that top-flight veteran Thiago Silva’s late introduction that helped Chelsea pull off the valuable home win. 

The Blues lead the Premier League’s table of the youngest average age per squad, and fans are becoming used to seeing 23 year-olds Reece James and Conor Gallagher as the side’s old heads.  

Not content with just the one first, Pochettino also handed a first-team debut to academy starlet Alfie Gilchrist in the final minutes of the contest.   

Arsenal – 22 years, 237 days

Portsmouth 0-3 Arsenal – May 2, 2009 

Starting XI: Fabianski, Sagna, Song Billong, Djourou, Eboue, Walcott, Denilson, Ramsey, Arshavin, Bendtner, Vela

All but three of the players who had featured in Arsenal’s prior Champions League starting XI were rested as Arsene Wenger decided to rest on his laurels with a top four spot for next season all but assured. 

But the understudies rose to the occasion and saw off a hapless Portsmouth side thanks to a number of errors by then-Pompey goalkeeper David James. 

‘I have no doubts about the younger players because I see them every day and what we work on, you could see that on the pitch today,’ Wenger said after the final whistle with a victor’s confidence. 

Arsenal showed their class against Portsmouth in a performance which belied their years

Aston Villa – 23 years, 120 days

Aston Villa 2-2 Swansea City – January 1, 2013

Starting XI: Guzan, Clark, Herd, Stevens, Lowton, Delph, Westwood, Bennett, Albrighton, Benteke, Weimann

After a miserable mid-winter, Villa needed to stem the rot – and fast. Defeats had come thick and fast through the festive period, kicked off by a woeful 8-0 rout by Chelsea, to this day the club’s heaviest top-flight defeat. 

Losses against Tottenham and Wigan followed in quick succession, but Paul Lambert’s gamble on youth paid dividends as the club scored their first goal in four fixtures courtesy of the youngest Villan on the pitch, Andreas Weimann. 

The Austrian was just 21 years and 149 days old when he stepped up in the 44th minute, and finished a gritty day’s work helping Villa nab their second after drawing a foul in the penalty area from Nathan Dyer. 

Andreas Weimann played a key role in reversing Aston Villa’s fortunes after a difficult winter

The head coach Paul Lambert called the youth in the squad to stem a run of terrible results

Bournemouth – 24 years, 129 days 

Crystal Palace 1-0 Bournemouth – December 3, 2019

Starting XI: Ramsdale, Smith, Mephan, Ake, Rico, Wilson, Lerma, Billing, Groeneveld, Solanke, Wilson

The confidence of youth isn’t always on the side of young teams, as Eddie Howe found out when he took his players to Selhurst Park in a match which will likely only go down in history as the first to be shown on Amazon Prime. 

Roy Hodgson was enjoying his first stint in the Palace dug-out for the clash but his evening will have been dampened by the red card handed out Mamadou Sakho early in the first-half.

But Bournemouth in their youngest iteration were unable to really take advantage of their opponent’s deficit, leaving room for Jeffrey Schlupp’s smash-and-grab goal in the 76th minute. 

Future Manchester City defender Nathan Ake was unable to impress at Palace in December ’19

Brentford – 24 years, 362 days

Brentford 0-1 Manchester City – December 29, 2021

Starting XI: Fernandez, Bech Sorensen, Jansson, Pinnock, Thompson, Onyeka, Jensen, Baptiste, Roerslev, Toney, Wissa

Brentford were brushed aside, mere footnotes victimised by a Man City side on a march towards the 2020/21 title as they fell to a limp 1-0 defeat in west London. 

Forced into changes by an injury crisis which saw 11 players sidelined, Thomas Frank drafted in Mads Roerslev to drag down the side’s average age. 

But Brentford’s comparative youth – 24.3 years to 26.9 years – was more noticeably out of their depth by the wealth of experience brought to the ground by Pep Guardiola’s side. The Bees’ average number of matches played for the team was just 52, compared to City’s 164.  

Brighton – 24 years, 59 days

Brighton 2-1 Brentford – December 6, 2023

Starting XI: Steele, Gross, Igor, Van Hecke, Hinshelwood, Gilmour, Baleba, Mitoma, Buonanotte, Adingra, Pedro

Much like Chelsea, the relative recency of Brighton’s youngest starting XI belies that fact that most gameweeks Roberto De Zerbi skirts close to the figure due to the wealth of young talents he has in his squad. 

But early December’s line-up pipped other teams sent out onto the pitch most likely due to the inclusion of not one but three teenagers in the form of Jack Hinshelwood (18), Facundo Buonanotte (18), and Carlos Baleba (19). 

Hinshelwood, a Brighton legacy thanks to his former manager uncle Martin and former player father Adam, had a particularly memorable evening – on his home debut, the teenage academy prospect headed past Mark Flekken to score the winner. 

Jack Hinshelwood enjoyed a memorable debut for his boyhood club when he scored against Brentford at the Amex

Burnley – 23 years, 206 days

Burnley 0-3 Man City – August 11, 2023

Starting XI: Trafford, Vitinho, Beyer, O’Shea, Al-Dakhil, Roberts, Foster, Cullen, Berge, Koleosho, Amdouni

A trip to the Etihad is quite the baptism of fire for any freshly promoted side, and for a returning Vincent Kompany, his season opener with Burnley was no different. 

The Clarets enjoyed an ascendant season in the Championship precisely based on youthful dynamism, so it’s no surprise that they made their Premier League history in their first fixture back in the top flight. 

However, Guardiola’s side were quick to teach Burnley that things would be wholly different from their last campaign, their 3-0 punishment capped by a red card to substitute Anass Zaroury in the dying minutes of added time. 

Burnley looked undercooked as they tried to apply Championship logic to meeting Man City

Crystal Palace – 23 years, 236 days

Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea – September 24, 1994 

Starting XI: Martyn, Gordon, Southgate, Coleman, Armstrong, Salako, Shaw, Patterson, Newman, Ndah, Launders

Things were already a little desperate for Palace just months after their promotion back to the Premiership, and destined to get worse. 

The Eagles would be relegated back down to the First Division at the end of the season thanks to performances typified by this limp 1-0 showing against their crosstown rivals, and finish the season as the league’s lowest scoring team with just 34 to their name. 

Glenn Hoddle’s Chelsea didn’t have to draw upon their reserves to scoop the routine win, with a goal in the 40th minute from Paul Furlong all that was required.  

Everton – 23 years, 14 days

Everton 3-2 Bolton Wanderers – December 28, 1997

Starting XI: Myhre, Thomas, Dunne, Tiler, Hinchcliffe, Farrelly, Oster, Ball, Barmby, Cadamarteri, Ferguson

Handed the captain’s armband for the first time, Duncan Ferguson had history on the brain with a superlative hat-trick on his return from suspension. Victory at Goodison Park in deepest mid-winter (a seemingly popular time to give youngsters a festive treat and include them in top-flight starting XIs) looked against the odds despite Bolton’s equally poor scoring record after the squad suffered a raft of injuries. 

In their stead, Howard Kendall started four teenagers – including 18-year-old Richard Dunne on his debut – and had another two on the bench. The youngest, Francis Jeffers, was only 16. 

But the confidence of youth won out, and led by Ferguson, an elderly 26, Everton boosted themselves up from the bottom of the Division with the flinty home win. 

Fulham – 24 years, 253 days

Tottenham 3-1 Fulham – August 18, 2018

Starting XI: Fabri, Fosu-Mensah, Chambers, Le Marchand, Bryan, Cairney, Anguissa, Seri, Sessegnon, Mitrovic, Kamara

Like a number of teams on this list, Fulham’s recent promotion back up to the Premier League undoubtedly plays a role in their relative youth. 

Fulham were stymied by having over-shopped in summer, leaving them with a disparate squad, and the misfortune of being the opposition when Harry Kane broke his 14-game duck to score his first ever Premier League goal in August. 

One player in particular would catch the eye – a then-18-year-old Ryan Sessegnon, who joined Tottenham when Fulham were promoted back down to the Championship at the end of the season. 

Liverpool – 23 years, 218 days

Swansea 3-1 Liverpool – May 1, 2016

Starting XI: Ward, Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Smith, Ojoo, Chirivella, Stewart, Ibe, Coutinho, Sturridge

Jurgen Klopp has played a visionary role at Liverpool but has been measured in his promotion of young talents, which may explain why the youngest team the coach has fielded came nearly nine years ago. 

Perhaps the shock of the result put the head coach off. Down to 10 men, Liverpool were made to pay for the greenness of their squad as they rested a number of key players ahead of an upcoming Europa League semi-final. 

Among the youngsters flung onto the Anfield pitch was Pedro Chirivella, then 18 years old and making his senior team debut. Chirivella would have to wait a staggering three years and four months before his next appearance for the Reds.  

Jurgen Klopp’s side were stunned into submission by Swansea at Anfield in May 2016

Luton Town – 26 years, 216 days

Aston Villa 3-1 Luton – October 29, 2023

Starting XI: Kaminski, Mengi, Lockyer, Osho, Kabore, Nakamba, Barkley, Doughty, Brown, Ogbene, Morris

Luton stood little chance against an Aston Villa side enjoying an impressive home run of form, and victory handed the Villans their 12th straight win at Villa Park in October. 

Compared to the rest of the teams in the table, the Premier League debutants top-flight archive is light, making their youngest ever team… very close to their oldest ever. 

Manchester City – 22 years, 360 days

Aston Villa 4-2 Manchester City – August 17, 2008

Starting XI: Hart, Corluka, Richards, Ben Haim, Garrido, Etuhu, Fernandes, Johnson, Petrov, Elano, Evans

Like Klopp, Guardiola has little interest in promoting players ahead of schedule, a stance which in part played a role in Cole Palmer’s departure to Chelsea over the summer in a bid to win regular playing time. 

So the blue side of Manchester are forced to look back over 15 years to their youngest ever starting XI, which is one of the youngest in the books. 

The dying days of the club’s Thaksin Shinawatra ownership saw Mark Hughes’ side filleted by a rampant Villa side, complete with Gabriel Agbonlahor hat-trick. 

Man City were punished with a Gabriel Agbonlahor masterclass on a youth trip to Villa Park

Manchester United – 22 years, 284 days

Manchester United 2-0 Crystal Palace – May 21, 2017

Starting XI: Pereira, Mitchell, Jones, Bailly, Fosu-Mensah, Pogba, Tuanzebe, McTominay, Harrop, Rooney, Lingard

Timothy Fosu-Mensah is one of just two players to appear in two of his club’s youngest ever sides after he got the nod to join Jose Mourinho’s band of misfits as the Man United manager threw his full focus towards the Europa League on the final day of the season. 

Amongst the swaps was Josh Pereira, the 20-year-old goalkeeper drafted in for David de Gea, who was assumed to be leaving over the summer for Real Madrid, and United would have likely smashed the record had the average not been hoicked up by a 31 year-old Wayne Rooney. 

The day belonged to the youngsters and their impressive if meaningless win, with Josh Harrop the happiest of all as he scored on his Premier League debut.  

Josh Harrop scored on his Premier League debut in front of a rapt crowd at Old Trafford in 2017

Newcastle – 23 years, 182 days

West Bromwich Albion 2-2 Newcastle – May 11, 2003

Starting XI: Given, Griffin, Caldwell, O’Brien, Hughes, Solano, Dyer, Jenas, Viana, Ameobi, LuaLua

With third place assured – plus West Brom’s impending relegation – there was little to stop Gary Megson doing as he pleased on the final day of the season, and the Magpies manager opted to give a slew of second-stringers some late action. 

But Newcastle’s youthful side was ultimately upstaged by the oldest player on the pitch, departing Baggies legend Bob Taylor, who was moving on from the club at the age of 36.   

Nottingham Forest – 24 years, 28 days

Nottingham Forest 0-2 Manchester City – February 27, 1993

Starting XI: Crossley, Tiler, Charles, Chettle, Keane, Stone, Clough, Black, Crosby, Woan, Glover

Nottingham Forest were on the uppers after a dismal start to the season after a necessary win against Queens Park Rangers, but were soon sent slumping back to the relegation zone after defeat at the City Ground. 

Under a retiring Brian Clough, Forest would spend the rest of the inaugural Premier League season trying to claw themselves off the bottom, but the side were relegated before the end of their exhausting campaign. 

Naturally, they were unable to hang onto the brightest talent in their young side on their trip down a Division: Roy Keane made his way to Manchester United that summer.  

Roy Keane (stretching) would play his final season at Forest before moving to Man United

Sheffield United – 24 years, 210 days 

Sheffield United 4-2 Chelsea – May 8, 1993

Starting XI: Hartfield, Deane, Pemberton, Beesley, Rogers, Cowan, Bradshaw, Scott, Kelly, Ward, Whitehouse

It wasn’t a sure thing, but pressure easing on Sheffield United at the tail-end of the 1992-93 meant they could finish a helter-skelter campaign in style. 

Threatened by relegation, the Blades had beaten Everton in their penultimate matchday, and a romping 4-2 against their west London visitors ensured the season ended on a comparative high with a 14th-place finish. 

Tottenham – 23 years, 97 days

Tottenham 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday – September 27, 1992

Starting XI: Turner, Barmby, Sedgley, Tuttle, Cundy, Allen, Van Den Hauwe, Walker, Austin, Anderton, Sheringham

Tottenham’s youngest ever side has the distinction of fielding the youngest player in any of the starting XI’s in the rankings – Andy Turner. 

Turner was just 17 years and 188 days old when he came up against a Sheffield Wednesday team on an impressive seven-game unbeaten march in the top-flight, the club’s longest unbeaten record in the competition. 

Ange Postecoglou may hope to beat that young average this season, however, when he can again call on some of his young talents including injured 22 year-old Micky van de Ven.   

West Ham – 24 years, 123 days

West Ham 1-0 Coventry City – December 26, 1997

Starting XI: Forrest, Impey, Unsworth, Pearce, Ferdinand, Berkovic, Lampard, Lomas, Lazaridis, Kitson, Hartson

On the rise after just skirting relegation the season before, youth was the backbone of Harry Redknapp’s impressive Hammers side, who had a 22 year-old 24-goal striker in John Hartson, and a 19 year-old midfield lynchpin in Frank Lampard. 

But whilst Lampard was among the youngest in the starting XI, the ultimate honour sat with a player Lampard himself had scouted, Rio Ferdinand. 

The future Man United star was just 49 days into his 20th year. 

Rio Ferdinand (left) and Frank Lampard (pictured in 1997) had already announced themselves as key players at West Ham

Wolves – 24 years, 60 days

Wolves 0-1 Portsmouth – October 3, 2009 

Starting XI: Hennessey, Elokobi, Berra, Mancienne, Foley, Edwards, Henry, Halford, Jarvis, Keogh, Doyle

Portsmouth had to wait until October for their first Premier League win, but they eventually found it against Wolves’ most youthful side during their spells in the top flight. 

Mick McCarthy’s men looked muddled and toothless against a Pompey side that offered equally minimal threat after Hassan Yebda broke the deadlock with a header that outsmarted Wayne Hennessey within the opening 20 minutes.