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 

Chelsea youth team manager Paul Clement knows that his side have the character to lift The FA Youth Cup this season, after seeing them come back from behind again to leave themselves in with a chance.

After falling behind to Manchester City in the first leg of the Final at Stamford Bridge on Thursday evening, a fine header from winger Gael Kakuta (pictured below) brought them level ahead of the return fixture at the City of Manchester Stadium on April 16.

Chelsea picked up the same 1-1 scoreline in their Semi-Final first leg with Aston Villa, before they travelled to Villa Park and won by 3-2 after going behind in that game.

Now they have to do the same again, but with two legs to play Clement knows it was always going to be decided in the second game at Eastlands.

“We always knew that the tie will be decided on the 16th and it’s nicely poised now,” he said.

“We’ve been in this situation before at 1-1 in our Semi-Final against Aston Villa, so that will be our motivation now.

“Our players are disappointed not to have won the game in front of our home fans, but we knew it wasn’t going to be decided tonight and we just had to try and do as much of the work as possible here.”

There were certainly plenty of chances for both teams to take an advantage into the second leg and after Kakuta’s equaliser, the hosts looked the more likely winners after City had made the better of the early running.

“It was a good game, certainly if you were a neutral, as it was very attacking with plenty of chances at both ends and it could have gone either way,” added Clement.

“We’re an attacking team and have scored lots of goals in the run-up to the Final, as have Manchester City. That’s the way we play, so we’re always going to create chances.

“We had a few good chances and that’s why we feel disappointed in the dressing room afterwards. While it was really evenly balanced, we had a couple of really good chances late on.”