Manchester City have already claimed the U18 Premier League North trophy but captain Joel Latibeaudiere isn’t about to rest on his laurels.
Goals from Joe Hardy, Phil Foden and Lorenzo Gonzalez saw City beat Middlesbrough on Saturday and move to an unassailable 12-point lead at the top of the U18 Premier League North table.
But despite having the trophy already wrapped up following 17 wins and four draws in their 21 games, there is still plenty for the Blues to play for as they now prepare to go into Group 1 of the national Premier League.
Before that comes an FA Youth Cup quarter-final clash at Aston Villa on Wednesday, and although they already have one piece of silverware in their grasp, Latibeaudiere is hungry for more.
"It feels unreal,” said the England Under-17s defender. “To go unbeaten throughout the season and seal that with another good win [against Middlesbrough], it’s what we’ve been working towards.
"We’re looking to win it all this year. Getting the treble and making some new records is our aim for now.”
Latibeaudiere isn’t the only one gunning for more glory, with Manchester City defender Joe Coveney returning from injury to lift the Premier League North title and play his part in the 4-2 victory over Stoke City that confirmed they would claim top spot.
And the centre-back admits he feels lucky to have timed his return to perfection, even if he too is champing at the bit for more success.
“Everyone in the team is really excited and for me, to come back at this point when we’re lifting trophies, I feel quite lucky,” added Coveney.
“This team is a special team and I think we’ve got a chance to do a lot more this season. We’ve won the northern division but we’re still in The FA Youth Cup and the national stage is coming.
“We’re confident that we have the quality to do all three if we stick to the game that has seen us come this far.”
FA Youth Cup History
Manchester City are two-time winners of The FA Youth Cup, first lifting the trophy in 1986 and more recently beating Chelsea 4-2 in 2008 with a team including the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Kieran Trippier and Ben Mee. However, Chelsea have enacted their revenge as they have beaten the Citizens in the last two Finals, while City have finished runners-up a total of six times.
Aston Villa also know what it feels like to lose at the final hurdle to Chelsea, with the Blues beating them in the 2010 showpiece. That was one of three runner-up places for Villa, although they have also lifted the trophy the same number of times, most recently in 2002 after beating Everton 4-2.
Did you know?
Manchester City’s only loss across all competitions at U18 level since November 2015 was the second leg of last year’s FA Youth Cup final against Chelsea – which the Blues won 3-1.
One to watch?
Alongside City’s regular stars in the U18 Premier League, a number of Premier League 2 regulars are also available for selection in this tournament. That means the likes of Brahim Diaz, Lukas Nmecha, Sadou Diallo and Demeaco Duhaney are likely to feature. Of those, Duhaney will be one to keep an eye on after he scored one and set up Nmecha for another in City’s fifth round 4-0 victory over Southampton.
The Prize
The winners of this sixth round tie will face either Preston North End or Stoke City at the semi-final stage.
