Man City’s Under-18s have now played eight games in the Under-18 Premier League North and won all eight, after a 2-1 win over Burnley at the City Football Academy that had to be finished with 10 men.
Goals from Will Gueke and Darren Motsi inside the first 22 minutes did the damage for Lauris Coggin’s side on Saturday. Manchester City stay top of the table on 24 points, with Manchester United their closest challengers on 22.
It was a much nervier afternoon than the 5-1 win at Derby a week earlier. Burnley pulled one back direct from a corner in the second half, Rafa Stewart was then sent off for a second yellow card, and the rest of the game was about seeing it out.
How did Man City Under-18s beat Burnley?
Quickly, and then with a bit of a sweat. Gueke opened the scoring on eight minutes with a shot from range that came off the underside of the crossbar, set up by a cut-back from Ethan Fullen, who was making his first start under Coggin.
Tireni Aiyegbusi thought he had doubled the lead from Timeo Whisker’s cross but was ruled offside. Motsi made it two moments later with a cool finish, and at that stage City looked to be cruising.
Burnley’s goal changed the feel of it on 53 minutes. With Stewart gone, City were left to protect what they had, and Aiyegbusi still had a chance to settle it before the end. Pablo Zabaleta was among those watching in the second half.
Who is driving this Under-18s run?
The goals are coming from all over, and that makes this side hard to mark. Five different players have scored across the last two league wins, with Gueke and Motsi on target against Burnley after Aiyegbusi got two at Derby alongside Woode, Motsi and Freddie Lawrie.
Motsi is the one to pick out right now. He has scored in back-to-back league games, and in between he set up both of Whisker’s goals in the 2-0 cup win over Southampton on Wednesday with two near-identical low crosses from the left.
Enzo Maresca saw that one for himself, watching Coggin’s side at the academy hours before his own team went through on penalties against Brighton that night. Whisker’s brace also took him to three goals in two cup games and put City top of Group D, one win from the knockout stages.
A week to remember for Rafa Stewart?
Not quite the one he wanted. Stewart made his Under-18s debut as a substitute at Derby, came on early against Southampton and started against Burnley, only to be sent off. It has been quite the introduction, and at this age those are the lessons that stick.
Man City Under-18s vs Burnley: round two comes quickly
City and Burnley meet again next Saturday, 7 November, this time at Burnley with an 11am kick-off. Burnley are also City’s last opponents in the Under-18 Premier League Cup group, so these two are going to get to know each other well.
Why this matters after a rough week for the Under-21s
The academy has not had things all its own way lately. On Tuesday the Under-21s were beaten 5-0 at Port Vale and went out of the EFL Trophy, a reminder of how big a step up the next age group can be.
But the route from here to the first team is there to see. Floyd Samba scored twice on his debut against Norwich in September and was leading the line in the Carabao Cup against Brighton on Wednesday, so this group has a real example to follow.
Verdict: eight from eight is the headline, the 10-man finish is the bit that counts
Anyone can look good when they are winning 5-1. What I liked more was this side getting through a tense finish a man down against a team who had just found a way back into the game. Coggin’s own verdict afterwards was that “we’re evolving with every game”, and it is hard to argue with him.
The next test is Burnley on their own ground, with United only two points back. Win that and this stops being a good start and becomes a proper title challenge.
