3 April 2008
VIDEO: Final first leg - Chelsea 1-1 Manchester City

Watch the highlights from a thrilling game at Chelsea where Gael Kakuta's towering header cancelled out Daniel Sturridge's opener.

Chelsea

1-1

Manchester City

Kakuta 66

 

Sturridge 50

The FA Youth Cup Sponsored by E.ON
Final, First Leg 
7pm, Thursday 3 April 2008
Stamford Bridge, Chelsea FC 

Manchester City know that a home win in the second leg of The FA Youth Cup Final will be enough to see them lift the trophy and City's Academy Director Jim Cassell is looking forward to locking horns with Chelsea again.

The two teams shared a 1-1 draw in Thursday’s first leg at Stamford Bridge in what was an open and entertaining game which leaves the competition’s showpiece at the City of Manchester Stadium finely poised.

“I thought it was a great advert for The FA Youth Cup,” said Cassell after the match.

“It’s brilliantly poised now. There was nothing between us and nothing in the game.

“I thought we were magnificent though and had good chances in the game, but Chelsea also had good chances too and the scoreline could have been higher. It could easily have been a 4-4 draw.”

However, whilst a draw away from home is a good result for City, Cassell knows that as the competition has shown this season, home advantage doesn’t always work in favour of the hosts and his team will need to be fully focused.

Chelsea drew the first leg of their Semi-Final with Aston Villa with the same scoreline but came back to win the away leg and seal their place in The Final, whilst City themselves lost the home stage of their Semi with Sunderland too.

“I’m not sure that home advantage is as big as everybody thinks because so far nobody has won a home tie in the Semi-Finals or now, in the first leg of the Final,” added Cassell.

“On paper, it’s really nice for us to go back to the City of Manchester Stadium on level terms and we’ll just approach it as a one-off game and if we can win it on our own pitch, then that would be the climax to a great season.

“I think it will be a great game because both sides know they’ve got to win and I think that’s when both teams are at their best.”