Young Guns Face Off in Manchester Derby FA Youth Cup Final Showdown

Manchester City and Manchester United face off in the FA Youth Cup final, a match that has been overshadowed by controversy over the venue.

Long-Standing Rivalry Reignites in FA Youth Cup Final The FA Youth Cup, in existence since 1952, has rarely been the subject of such intense focus as this year's final. Manchester City and Manchester United are set to clash for the second time, with City having won the first encounter in 1986. The highly anticipated match will be broadcast on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, allowing fans to follow the action via live text updates. This will be City's third consecutive final appearance, having secured the trophy in 2019-20 with a squad including Cole Palmer, Liam Delap, and Taylor Harwood-Bellis. ## Controversy Surrounds Venue Change for the FA Youth Cup Final Manchester City's decision to stage the game at the Joie Stadium, with a capacity of 7,000, rather than the Etihad Stadium, has been met with criticism from United and the Football Association. Construction works at the Etihad Stadium were cited as the reason for the change, but United had requested the game be moved to Old Trafford. United sold their allocation of almost 1,000 tickets in a matter of minutes, while City tickets are still available to members. ## Prolific Scorers and Talented Sons to Watch in the FA Youth Cup Final Manchester City's Oliver Reiss has a free-scoring side, netting 18 goals in their run to the final. Star striker Teddie Lamb scored in the semi-final victory over Blackburn and has netted a total of 28 goals in just 26 games this season. He was the top scorer in the Premier League U18 competition and was nominated for the player of the year award. The talented 16-year-old joined from Leyton Orient for a reported £355,000 last year. Another player to watch is Reigan Heskey, son of ex-Liverpool striker Emile, who also scored in the previous round. ## City's Academy Talents Ready to Shine in the FA Youth Cup Final At the back, Leke Drake was named as City's Premier League scholar of the year following an impressive season. The 18-year-old defender played in every game, captaining the side to the Premier League U18 North title. Midfielder Harrison Miles has only scored twice this season, but one of those goals came from a long-range strike against United in the league earlier this season. ## United's Route to the Final and Talented Squad Members United's progress to the final has not been smooth, with narrow home victories over Peterborough, Derby, and Sunderland, as well as a comfortable away win at Oxford. In the semi-final against Crystal Palace, United needed extra time to secure a spot in the final. United's key players include Chido Obi, a Denmark youth international who made eight first-team appearances last season, and JJ Gabriel, the 15-year-old crowned under-18 player of the year by the Premier League this week. ## United's Squad Members to Watch in the FA Youth Cup Final Other talented players in United's squad include Jim Thwaites, who has been used in deeper positions this season, and Dan Armer, the skipper in central defence. Junior Brown and Noah Ajayi are dangers out wide, and goalkeeper Cameron Byrne-Hughes has had a solid season. When asked about the final, midfielder Rafe McCormack said, '100%. It's a big occasion, but we need to focus on ourselves and what we can do.'