- Premier League 2 tie to take place on same day as FA Cup semi
- Under-21s finished third to secure home play-off tie
- Both squads set to be in action on same evening
Manchester City are set to face a scheduling overlap as the development squad’s Premier League 2 play-off fixture will take place on the same day as their FA Cup semi-final against Southampton.
Man City’s Premier League clash against Burnley tomorrow will be followed by an FA Cup semi-final on Saturday.
The Citizens haven’t won the Cup for two seasons now. With a possible departure of Pep Guardiola on the books, City will be hoping to win another trophy for a proper farewell.
On the contrary, the club’s U21 side is also doing well. They finished third in the Premier League 2 and will now face Arsenal at the Joie Stadium.
PL2 playoff will clash with FA Cup semi-final
City’s under-21s side will be playing their PL2 Round of 16 play-offs against the Gunners this Saturday. It is the same day as the first team’s FA Cup semi-final clash.
While Guardiola’s men have their kick-off at 17:15 UK time, Wilkinson’s boys have their clash kick-off at 19:00 UK time.
Likewise, it is an important clash for City’s under-21s, who will be defending the league title. They won the league last season and are the most successful team in the competition’s history.
A strong PL2 performance
The U21 side had finished first last season, eventually going on to win the title. Despite finishing third this season, they are comfortably in the top 16 teams who directly advance to the elimination playoffs.
The Sky Blues U21 have scored the highest goals per match (3.0) of any PL2 team this season. They also topped the fewest goals conceded per match (1.1) chart.
Despite being third for average possession, the youngsters ranked the highest for touches in the box (727), with Chelsea coming in second (699).
A possible semi-final derby
While the overlap might move the spotlight to the first team, it also makes the fans aware of another important fixture.
The youth teams usually don’t get much spotlight, but this clash offers attention when the FA Cup semi-final comes to an end.
The under-21s players will be hoping to make their mark to defend the league title again this season. Manchester United are the second most successful team in the competition with a total of three titles to their name.
If both sides win their Round of 16 clashes and the upcoming quarter-finals, we will see a derby in the semi-finals, just like the FA Youth Cup final this season.
