Manchester United Under-18s faced Crystal Palace in the semi-final of the FA Youth Cup on Friday evening at Old Trafford, with the winner playing against Manchester City in the final.
Manchester United Under-18s returned to FA Youth Cup action on Friday evening with an impressive 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace. They will face Manchester City in the final in May, with the match expected to take place at the Etihad Stadium.
Chido Obi proved to be the Old Trafford hero, with a late winner in the 117th minute. The former Arsenal forward struggled to get into the game, but showed great composure to take it past Lucca Benetton in the Palace goal to clinch victory with just three minutes left to play.
Friday's game was set as the perfect preview for Wednesday's match at Selhurst Park, as the two sides prepare to meet again in the Premier League Cup Final. But tonight's focus was all on the FA Youth Cup.
That tie is sure to be even more interesting after the 120 minutes of football played at Old Trafford. Neither side grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck throughout the match, leading to many half-cheers and worried sighs from the crowd.
The first half was fairly even, with the most notable element being Davud Angibeaud's early withdrawal after a head collision. Crystal Palace's No.11 tried to keep playing after the clash, but was forced off before the half-hour mark - a decision he was not best pleased with.
Chido Obi came close in the additional time of the first 45'. Noah Ajayi held the ball on the left flank, and Kukonki ran through the half-space looking to affect the game. The 18-year-old slipped in and delivered a ball perfectly on the head of the young Dane, but the former Arsenal youngster nodded it just wide.
The game finally kicked into gear in the 75th minute, when Chido Obi slipped through JJ Gabriel, who calmly lifted it over the goalkeeper. United didn't hold the lead for long, though, as a mistake at the back gave Raihaan Anderson the easiest goal of his short career.
Extra time followed a similar pattern to the first 90 minutes, with very little action until Obi's late winner after a brilliant ball from substitute James Overy.
#1 - The Red Army Arrives
Support for the youth sides is never in short supply at Manchester United, especially in the FA Youth Cup at Old Trafford, but tonight was a first for this season.
The Red Army arrived in serious numbers, appearing to sell out half of the Sir Bobby Charlton stand and were cheering from the very off. This also included some jeering when Angibeaud was withdrawn early on
In all seriousness, the beauty of the FA Youth Cup is seeing youngsters playing in the stadiums they dream of selling out one day. So, to see so many fans in attendance for the semi-final against Crystal Palace was brilliant to see.
The official attendance was an impressive 3,189.
#2 - It's Thwaites' game and others just played in it
Jim Thwaites has drifted between the under-21s and the under-18s for at least 18 months now, occasionally captaining the sides too. But it's not his leadership skills that set him apart from others on Friday evening.
The 18-year-old started alongside Rafe McCormack in central midfield, wearing number eight on his back. McCormack was instructed to break up and the recycle play, while Thwaites was given a free role to dictate from deep or move into advanced areas.
His quick drop of the shoulder, combined with an excellent passing range to match, meant Palace struggled to tie him down, despite seemingly man-marking the midfielder for most of the match.
In the 83rd minute, Thwaites appeared to decide the game was his to win. A nice turn gave him space 25 yards outside of the goal, but his curling effort was narrowly wide from his weaker left foot.
In truth, Thwaites did drop off in extra time, but he continued to get on the ball and try things many others would be afraid to do so after a mistake.
Thwaites has been compared to both Paul Scholes and David Beckham for his passing range and set-piece threat. It is not difficult to see why.
#3 - Noah Ajayi...you seem familiar
Whether it's his rapid burst of speed, his lanky frame, his ability to not be in the game but suddenly take it by the scruff of the neck, or even his freakishly powerful finishing, there is just something about Noah Ajayi that is very similar to Marcus Rashford.
Ajayi started the game from the left flank, forcing JJ Gabriel to play as the attacking midfielder behind Chido Obi, and looked exciting throughout, often driving inside before looking to take on half the Crystal Palace backline. *Coughs* Marcus Rashford...
When United were in possession, Gabriel moved to the left-half-space, and Ajayi stayed as wide as he could in attempts to stretch the Palace back five. Kukonki often joined him in attack, leading to good combinations with varying underlaps and overlaps - something Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford were well known for.
In truth, Ajayi would do very well to come anywhere close to Rashford's 426 appearances and 138 goals in a red United shirt, although that total could yet be added to after recent reports suggesting Rashford may be "open" to returning to Old Trafford.
#4 - The Helafu dilemma
Yuel Helafu was an unknown quantity at the start of the season, but his performances for both the U18s and U21s have ensured his name is now well known. But he faces a problem related to his playstyle if he is to make it at Old Trafford.
Like Rico Lewis at Manchester City or Jurrien Timber at Arsenal, Helafu is what you would call an inverted right back, meaning he prefers to be in midfield spaces, rather than out wide.
With Thwaites playing a more advanced role, Helafu often inverted into midfield from his starting right-back spot - sometimes appearing on the left flank, looking to lose his man. This would scare many traditional full-backs, but not Helafu.
When James Overy replaced Hefalfu in the 97th minute, he played closer to a traditional full-back, although he still chose to move inside in possession, leaving Samuel Lusale to stay wide and attempt to beat his marker in a one-on-one. Overy played the ball for Obi's late winner, staying wide before curling it into his path.
United's first team has rarely featured an inverted full-back, although Erik ten Hag did experiment with Diogo Dalot in this role at times, meaning Helafu will be asked to play a very different role if he steps up to the senior side.
#5 - Lusale earns final spot
United will meet Crystal Palace once again on Wednesday evening, this time in the final of the Premier League Cup at Selhurst Park. No doubt, Fletcher will have been thinking of that game while the Youth Cup semi-final was in play.
Junior Brown started on the right flank for United and looked steady, but he was withdrawn for Samuel Lusale in the second half, and the difference was stark.
Every time Lusale picked up the ball, he immediately faced the goal and ran at his marker, often beating them for pace, too. This preceded a good ball into the box, a pass to keep possession, or even a shot of his own.
Lusale wasn't directly involved in the goal in the 77th minute, which saw JJ Gabriel finally break the deadlock to level with Chido Obi on three goals apiece in the Youth Cup, but his impact cannot be understated.
JJ Gabriel went down with an issue in the 110th minute, forcing him to be replaced by Jay McEvoy. It was likely just a cramp, but that will be a concern for the Red Devils heading into the Premier League Cup final.
If Lusale wasn't being considered for a star before, he certainly is now.