Who'd have imagined a transfer ban could have come with such a silver lining. Chelsea's inability to sign anyone last summer turned the spotlight's glare on their academy more intensely than ever before.
Frank Lampard had little alternative than to flood his first-team squad with emerging talent and they certainly haven't let him down.
Eight homegrown players have now made their Chelsea debuts this season - Mason Mount, Billy Gilmour, Ian Maatsen, Tino Anjorin, Reece James, Marc Guehi, Tariq Lamptey and Armado Broja.
That's the highest number in one season ever seen at Stamford Bridge since their junior teams launched in the 1940s and goes without mentioning the likes of Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori and Callum Hudson-Odoi, who have also flourished.
Chelsea have finally found the formula for bringing through their academy graduates, but how do their sterling efforts this season compare to the rest of the Premier League?
Sportsmail takes a look at each of the 20 top-flight clubs and how their newly-emerged homegrown players have got on.
ARSENAL
It's been a turbulent season for the Gunners but at least one consolation is that some of their young academy players are starting to make an impact.
Bukayo Saka, 18, their versatile left-sided player, is receiving more and more minutes under Mikel Arteta and has now started a dozen Premier League games after scoring twice in the Europa League group stage.
Joe Willock, 20, has been introduced from the bench 13 times in the Premier League and is a regular go-to midfielder in the cup competitions.
Winger Reiss Nelson, also 20, has seen limited opportunities after spending last season at Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga, and notably scored the winning goal against Leeds United in the FA Cup third round.
The slightly older Ainsley Maitland-Niles, 22, has started in 14 Premier League games this season to continue his upward curve of involvement from the past two seasons.
Quite a few Arsenal fans had hoped to see more of 19-year-old Emile Smith Rowe but he was loaned out to Huddersfield Town in the Championship after a handful of outings, mostly in Europe.
One who headed to Yorkshire, with Leeds United, and has since returned is striker Eddie Nketiah, 20, and it's clear there's a role for him to play under Arteta. Scored in the 3-2 win over Everton in February to remind a Premier League audience of his talents.
ASTON VILLA
Obviously most of the focus here is on a certain Jack Grealish, the best player to emerge from Aston Villa's academy for years.
It was back in the 2013-2014 season that Grealish made his Villa debut and, now aged 24, he's their captain and most influential player.
He's the first name on the teamsheet for manager Dean Smith and with nine goals and eight assists this season, Grealish has proven he can cut it in the Premier League, even playing himself into England contention.
But it's highly likely this will be his last in a Villa shirt, with larger clubs such as Manchester United circling.
Homegrown striker Keinan Davis, 22, has played a bit-part role this season, featuring mainly in the early stages of Villa's run to the Carabao Cup final.
One young player to keep an eye on is 19-year-old American Indiana Vassilev, who signed for Villa from the IMG Academy in Florida back in 2018. Vassilev made his first team debut against Fulham in the FA Cup back in January.
BOURNEMOUTH
There's a sprinkling of homegrown players in the Bournemouth squad.
Defender Jack Simpson, 23, has featured predominantly in the two competitions this season though he did come on for the injured Steve Cook at Anfield before the season was suspended.
We've seen a little bit of Irish goalkeeper Mark Travers, again mainly in the FA Cup and EFL Cup, and it remains to be seen if we see more of striker Sam Surridge, recalled from his loan at Swansea in January after seven goals in 23 games.
We also saw a little bit of 20-year-old Irish midfielder Gavin Kilkenny in the EFL Cup earlier in the season.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
It's certainly been a breakthrough season for 20-year-old Aaron Connolly, who made his Premier League debut against Manchester City at the end of August.
Since then he's featured in 16 more league games, notably scoring twice in Brighton's 3-0 win over Tottenham back in October.
Graham Potter has also been unafraid to give other academy hopefuls their chance in the EFL Cup. A very young side was sent out against Aston Villa in the third round featuring the likes of defender Haydon Roberts, 17, and midfielder Teddy Jenks, 18.
BURNLEY
Dwight McNeil continues to be a shining light for Burnley in his second full season of Premier League action.
The 20-year-old had started every single one of the Clarets' 29 Premier League matches before the coronavirus suspension with an FA Cup tie against Peterborough United the only game he has missed this season.
CHELSEA
As mentioned at the top, the now-lifted transfer embargo posed on Chelsea has proved to be the liberation their conveyor belt of academy talent desperately needed.
Having long been criticised for failing to offer a pathway into the first team, the spine of Chelsea's team is now homegrown and will keep them in good stead for years to come.
After three seasons out on loan, striker Tammy Abraham, 22, has returned to superbly carry the burden of supplying the goals needed to keep Chelsea competitive, with 15 so far.
In midfield, 21-year-old Mason Mount has proved himself a class act with so much more to come, while at the back Fikayo Tomori, 22, was first choice at centre-half during much of the first half of the season.
Callum Hudson-Odoi, 19, has returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines to show flashes of his class, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek will hoping to soon do the same.
And the emergence of Billy Gilmour and others has shown fans the promise of plenty more to come. Frank Lampard's Chelsea is one they really should be able to identify with.
CRYSTAL PALACE
Not much in the way of emerging talent at Selhurst Park this season but Roy Hodgson did hand a debut to 18-year-old academy graduate and local boy Brandon Pierrick in the New Year's Day match against Norwich City.
EVERTON
Tom Davies was the last player from Everton's academy to really establish himself as a first-team regular and the midfielder now has over 100 appearances for the club.
This season, we have seen a bit of 19-year-old Anthony Gordon, a local lad who joined Everton as an 11 year old. The attacking midfielder came off the bench in the Premier League matches against West Ham and Chelsea.
LEICESTER CITY
The likes of Ben Chilwell, Harvey Barnes and Hamza Choudhury have emerged from Leicester's academy in recent seasons but we haven't seen too many new faces involved during 2019-20.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, 21, came off the bench in the FA Cup fourth round win over Brentford but has subsequently been sent out on loan to Blackpool.
LIVERPOOL
Liverpool have an enormous extended squad and Jurgen Klopp has made use of the many academy hopefuls at his disposal in the cup competitions this season.
Nineteen-year-old midfielder Curtis Jones grabbed the most headlines after he scored the winning goal in the third round of the FA Cup against Everton and he also captained another youthful side in the next round against Shrewsbury Town.
That win over Everton also featured defender Nathaniel Phillips, 22, who was recalled from a loan with VFB Stuttgart before returning there and 18-year-old right-back Neco Williams. He went on to play in all Liverpool's FA Cup games before Chelsea knocked them out.
Spanish midfielder Pedro Chirivella has also featured in various domestic cup games.
While the side that lost 5-0 at Aston Villa in the EFL Cup while the first team were at the Club World Cup was a real youth side, with Luis Longstaff, Herbie Kane (now on loan at Hull) and 17-year-old Thomas Hill also playing.
MANCHESTER CITY
There has been plenty of focus as ever on Phil Foden, being the most high profile of City's academy graduates currently in the team.
The 19-year-old midfielder continues to make good progress even if it frustrates quite a few that he has only started three Premier League matches this season. He shone in the Carabao Cup final win over Aston Villa but Pep Guardiola continues to preach patience.
When David Silva moves on this summer, it should be Foden's time to shine.
There has been the odd opportunity for other academy players. Defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis played two early round matches in the EFL Cup run, while 19-year-old centre-back Eric Garcia has stepped into the often depleted City back line in a handful of Premier League games.
Tommy Doyle and Adrian Bernabe have also been given a flavour of first-team football in the EFL Cup.
MANCHESTER UNITED
It's certainly an excellent time to be a young player at Manchester United, with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer committed to not only buying young talent but also producing it in the club's academy.
This season has seen notable breakthroughs, with left-back Brandon Williams, 19, offering stiff competition to Luke Shaw on that side of the defence and playing 26 games in all.
Up front, Mason Greenwood, 18, has proven himself a truly exciting prospect for the future with 12 goals across all competitions, including five in the Premier League and five in the Europa League.
Scott McTominay continues to excel in United's midfield four seasons on from his debut.
Tahith Chong, 20, has just committed to a new deal and looks set to get further opportunities, especially with United still in the Europa League, while we can expect to see more of defender Axel Tuanzebe.
The dead rubber Europa League group stage game away to Astana also offered a further glimpse into United's future with full debuts handed to right-back Ethan Laird, midfielder Dylan Levitt and centre-back Di'Shon Bernard.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
What an impact Matty Longstaff - younger brother of Sean - made on his debut for Newcastle against Manchester United back in October. The teenager rattled home a brilliant winning goal.
But the younger Longstaff brother hasn't perhaps played as much as he'd have hoped since and can usually be found on the bench, though Steve Bruce has played him more in the FA Cup. A bright future awaits, however.
The FA Cup replay win over Rochdale saw a debut for 20-year-old Thomas Allan, who set up the fourth goal for Joelinton.
NORWICH CITY
Norwich's bid to stay in the Premier League has meant scant opportunity for young players but established academy graduates Jamal Lewis and Todd Cantwell, both 22, continue to play regularly having burst onto the scene in the Championship.
But one emerging player certainly worth watching is Irish forward Adam Idah, 19, who made his City debut against Crawley in the EFL Cup back in August, his Premier League debut against Palace on New Year's Day and then scored a hat-trick against Preston in the FA Cup.
SHEFFIELD UNITED
One of the main reasons for Sheffield United's success this season is their settled team that has climbed the divisions. That means there aren't really any breakthroughs to speak of this season.
SOUTHAMPTON
Southampton have long had a first-class academy and we've seen more this season of the likes of French right-back Yan Valery, who made his first appearances in the Premier League last season.
The 19-year-old Irish striker Michael Obafemi continues to receive more game time and has scored this season against Chelsea and West Ham in the Premier League, plus Fulham in the EFL Cup.
Another Ireland international, the 20-year-old central midfielder Will Smallbone, has started two league games and scored in the FA Cup against Huddersfield Town.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Jose Mourinho doesn't always have the best faith in young players but it's been encouraging to see him play 20-year-old Japhet Tanganga in Tottenham's defence in a large number of recent matches.
Tanganga has been with Spurs since the age of 10, so it's nice to see him make the grade.
In midfield, 19-year-old Oliver Skipp is getting a little bit of a look-in with Mourinho coming to his defence during his criticism of Tanguy Ndombele following the draw at Burnley in early March.
Young striker Troy Parrott, however, hasn't been given much opportunity to be the saviour amid Tottenham's injury crisis in attack.
WATFORD
Not too much to report at Watford though their FA Cup replay against League One Tranmere Rovers, which ended in a 2-1 defeat, did see Nigel Pearson field a youthful team amid a hectic fixture schedule.
The only player who'd actually come exclusively through Watford's academy was 18-year-old midfielder Jayden Bennetts but the Hornets are quite good at identifying talent in other youth teams.
Among the other players involved that night were 20-year-old Henry Wise, formerly of Derby, and 20-year-old winger Joseph Hungbo, until last year at Crystal Palace.
WEST HAM UNITED
Of course, Declan Rice goes from strength to strength in the midfields of West Ham and England but we’ve seen precious little else in the way of breakthroughs this season from a club that prides itself on developing players.
We have seen 19-year-old right-back Jeremy Ngakia emerge and he has completed West Ham’s last four Premier League matches.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
It’s been a gruelling season for Wolves that has stretched their squad and that has opened up opportunities for some of their academy players.
Eighteen-year-old midfielder Taylor Perry, for example, has played a handful of games in the EFL Cup and the UEFA Europa League. Seventeen-year-old Chem Campbell made his debut against Aston Villa in the EFL Cup.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com