Manchester City Under-18s looked to be cruising to an FA Youth Cup warmup win against Leeds last week.
It was one-way traffic at the City Football Academy as the Blues battered their West Yorkshire opponents, somehow only scoring two goals in a dominant opening half. More chances were spurned, and then in the 64th minute Kaden Braithwaite was given a straight red card for conceding a penalty to let Leeds back in it; ten minutes later, in a collapse the first team are all too familiar with, Leeds equalised.
Two points looked to have been lost, only for Divine Mukasa to volley in a wonderful winner to keep the City momentum going. At the weekend, they travelled to Carrington and became the first team to beat champions United in 18 matches as they cruised to a 4-0 win.
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City coach Oliver Reiss was delighted with the improvement shown by his side against a United team they had lost to at the beginning of the season. He was as pleased with the fight shown against Leeds though, who they will play tonight in the FA Youth Cup in a repeat of last year's final.
"The result is amazing but the way we achieved it was for me very good and very special in terms of supporting each other in intensity and energy on the pitch," he told the Manchester Evening News. "I could see that we are able to go to the limit when you play against really tough teams.
"A week ago against Leeds was similar when we were 2-0 and it felt like things were going well but then a red card and 2-2. City teams are not used to being in tough situations like this and it was the first time we fought for the win. I'd never seen this before from my team because there was no situation to prove this. Put both together - Leeds and United - and it's the same theme for why we won both games."
Those two wins have parachuted City to the top of the Under-18s league, and they are also out to defend their cup crown. This is Reiss's first season in English football, and he has had to be educated quickly on the importance of the FA Youth Cup but is firmly on board with a competition where he can put his players under the microscope.
"When I came here, we had the league and then the U18 Premier League Cup and then there's the FA Cup. So many cups! Everyone was talking about the FA Cup," he said.
"I didn't know that this is the thing and now I know it and I like it. I want to bring it to the players because they have to be more in situations like this, under pressure.
"Sometimes you can play down a game so they are not nervous but here I think in terms of development and improving the players to make them more resilient in the future, don't make it smaller than it is. Make it big, make the pressure high, make them know that there are more eyes on them than in the other games. This is what they need to bring their abilities on the pitch under pressure and they cannot learn this enough."
