Your captain's on his last legs. The players aren't playing for your manager. But it's not all doom-and-gloom, Chelsea fans.

There's something special developing across the water in Arnhem. Two young gems, Chelsea through-and-through, aren't just holding their own in the Eredivisie, but driving Vitesse Arnhem's Champions League tilt.

Victory over Excelsior has Vitesse sitting in the unexpected position of fifth place - and Sunday's win was achieved with Dominic Solanke again on the scoresheet.

It was the 18 year-old Chelsea striker's fourth goal in nine games. An achievement which has some pundits likening the teen to a young Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Ferdi Vierklau, who played with the PSG superstar at Ajax, has been won over by Solanke this season, declaring: "He's only 18 and already doing so well.

"He really is an executioner. Ruthless in front of goal.

"Even when he gets an impossible pass, he manages to do something beautiful with it. In that respect, he is a bit reminiscent of Zlatan Ibrahimovic."

Vierklau isn't alone being impressed by Solanke's nimble control. Former Blues striker Tore Andre Flo famously picked the teen as one to watch when Solanke was just beginning to make a name for himself.

"He's quick but often what impresses me the most is when he looks like he's lost the ball, he somehow manages to get out with the ball, no matter how tight the situation is or how difficult it looks," said the Norwegian.

A Chelsea player since he was 8 years of age, Solanke is in his first full season of senior football and at Eredivisie level, he looks a natural.

"I want to develop myself and become a better player. That's why I'm here," says Solanke. "The conditions are perfect.

"My aim is eventually to play football for a top team. Maybe Chelsea. That's been my dream since childhood. But that applies to so many players."

Solanke joined Vitesse in August with unashamed support coming from his manager. Jose Mourinho told Vitesse they were landing "a gem", who would go on to become an England regular.

"It's nice that he says I'm a gem," Solanke says, a little uneasily.

"But I'm only at the beginning, I have proved nothing. Someday I hope to make my dreams come true. For now I keep the focus on working hard and getting better."

"Dominic's a shy lad," says Peter Bosz, the Vitesse coach, "introverted.

"But you can see his quality."

Four goals in nine Eredivisie games is proof of that "quality". But Solanke isn't alone in flying the Chelsea flag in Arnhem this season.

Lewis Baker is making just as big an impact in midfield. Some observers say, despite Solanke's goals, it is Baker who's proving the best of Chelsea's five loan players at Vitesse this season.

Indeed, in a country famed for its development, Baker has even local coaches amazed by his ability.

"He switches the ball between both feet effortlessly," enthuses Bosz. "Not that one leg is much better than the other. He can shoot great with both feet. Corners, free kicks, penalties.

"It is unprecedented, even at the highest level in Europe, you'll rarely see such a thing."

Baker, like Solanke, has come right through Chelsea's youth system, first joining the club from Luton Town at 10 years of age. He's two years the senior of Solanke. But at 20, Bosz was still asking a lot when he pitched him at the start of the season.

Vitesse had just lost senior midfielders Davy Pröpper and Marko Vejinovic - and it was Baker whom Bosz had identified as the player to fill the void.

"He will fill the position in midfield other than Marko or Davy," said Bosz. "But our team will be different. Lewis has less depth to his game than, say, Davy, but then again is strong on the ball."

Like Solanke, Baker has looked a natural at this level. He's only a quarter of the way into his first season in Holland, but as Vitesse captain Guram Kashia states, Baker is already showing the potential of a "great player".

Kashia, who just signed a new five-year deal, keeps a close eye on all of Chelsea's loanees and hopes Vitesse can hold onto Baker beyond this season - for the good of all parties.

"He is at the point in his career where he knows he is in the right place. For Chelsea, it is now a little too soon. In my mind, one season is not enough here. I believe he should play his football here for two years, then he really will be a great player.

"But every game you can already see that he is now a key player who can take control of the midfield.

"We all push eachother here to the maximum and he is truly an example of a boy who wants to develop. He knows why he's here. The previous seasons we had more quality and experience. Now we have especially a lot of talent, but also an exceptional sporting mentality."

Kashia is a fan of Vitesse's partnership with Chelsea and has only good words to say about Baker, Solanke and fellow loanees Izzy Brown, Danilo Pantic and Nathan.

"You never have to fear that you'll arrive here one morning for training smelling a hint of alcohol. For these guys every training session is treated like a match. They want to improve here and to make a higher move."

The problems at Chelsea have reached Arnhem, where Solanke says the loanees keep up to date with the happenings at Stamford Bridge every week.

"Chelsea is in a very difficult period, but I am confident that they'll quickly get back on top," says Solanke. "I watched the game against West Ham with Lewis and Izzy.

"We've been friends for years. Now we all live in Arnhem, we often get together to watch the matches of Chelsea. Hopefully they'll find quickly a way up in the Premier League."

It may be still doom-and-gloom at Cobham, but in Solanke and Baker, Chelsea fans can look to Arnhem and feel there is light at the end of a very dark tunnel.