Manchester City take on Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final on Saturday - with another final taking place 110 miles away just three hours before kick-off at Wembley.
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Kingsley Coman of FC Bayern Muenchen and Florian Wirtz of Bayer 04 Leverkusen battle for the ball during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern München at BayArena on February 15, 2025 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by GSI/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
Kingsley Coman of FC Bayern Muenchen and Florian Wirtz of Bayer 04 Leverkusen battle for the ball during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern München at BayArena on February 15, 2025 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by GSI/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
The celebrations were only just getting started a fortnight ago at Villa Park when a downbeat Manchester City dressing room had a sudden realisation.
As Freed From Desire rang through the tunnel from the Aston Villa dressing room, City's beaten FA Youth Cup finalists were already plotting their revenge.
With the young Blues wrapping up their under-18 Premier League North title a week earlier, they knew they would be in a National final to decide the best youth team in the country. At the time, it was between Villa and Southampton - and City players were in no doubt that they needed the chance to put things right against the team who just beat them moments earlier.
There was initial disbelief at the way the Youth Cup final got away from City, brutally ending a 27-game winning run at the worst moment. Then a few smiles crept back into the dressing room. Then the realisation that they could meet Villa again very soon.
"I am also not just a football coach," said City's U18 head coach Oliver Reiss. "I have also a heart. When I think about this [facing Villa again], then of course it would be nice to play again."
Defender Stephen Mfuni, a rising star in the academy, summed up the mood in the City camp perfectly. "We want to get the score even. We're 1-0 down right now. Try to win to make it 1-1, " he told the Manchester Evening News. "We were hoping [it would be Villa], we know we can play better next time."
The U18 National final takes place at Villa Park again after the drawing of lots to determine the home side. Unfortunately, however, the fixture clashes with the FA Cup final on Saturday so there is unlikely to be many City fans urging the youngsters on like they did in the Youth Cup final.
That failure of the Premier League in scheduling one of their showpiece youth games is a shame for a hugely talented group - not least because the Youth Cup final saw Txiki Begiristain and Hugo Viana attend to look at the best the academy has to offer in person.
The new sporting director will likely be at Wembley on Saturday instead. Viana watched the U21 play-off semi-final win over Manchester United last week and was present for the academy's annual awards night this week - and he will know that one final doesn't define a career.
Mfuni says City have watched the Youth Cup final back, identifying the two set piece goals conceded in the first half, taking that into the under-21 win over United as an instant improvement. "We saw where we went wrong and tried to make sure it didn't happen again. For example their set piece goals we made sure United didn't score from any. Just take whatever we did wrong into these games."
Mfuni glides between age group and first team training just like he glides from defence into midfield, and he believes he is personally better for a season that saw him go on the pre-season tour with Pep Guardiola in the summer, train regularly with the first team and play an important role in every academy competition. He will get two winners' medals for his PL2 and U18PL title wins, and will hope for two more with the last two finals of the season.
"I've progressed fast, I think I've been doing well with the first team which has developed me a lot," he reflected. "As you can see on the pitch I'm stronger , faster, I think a lot and my decision-making is a lot better. It's improved me a lot.
"The first team players give me tips, defending, attacking. I get used to playing different positions, making me a better player."
The Youth Cup final was a disappointment from a group who instantly knew they could do better. Now they are determined to settle the score and give a better account for themselves with a swift return to Villa Park.
It's just a shame the Premier League have let them down by allowing a nonsensical clash with the FA Cup final.
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