- Man City play Man United in FA Youth Cup final
- Match will take place at Joie Stadium
- Expectations were for Etihad clash
Manchester City were meant to play Man United at the Etihad Stadium in the FA Youth Cup, but the club have been unable to make this happen.
The FA Youth Cup final is going to be quite the occasion, with a Manchester derby taking place to decide who wins the trophy.
Man City’s under-18s team secured their spot in the final after thrashing Blackburn Rovers back in April.
This will be the first time the two Manchester outfits have met in the final since 1986, when the Citizens won their maiden Youth Cup trophy after a 2-0 second leg victory at Maine Road.
The final will not be played at the Etihad Stadium
Man City were defeated in last year’s FA Youth Cup final, which took place at the home stadium of Aston Villa.
The expectation was that this year’s final would also take place at a large venue, and it was supposed to be the Etihad Stadium.
However, Manchester Evening News have reported that after weeks of discussions, the 7000-seater Joie Stadium will host the upcoming Manchester derby.
This is because Man City’s first-team have had to wait for Premier League fixtures to be rescheduled.
With Pep Guardiola’s team having to play two home matches in five days, it is not possible to stage the Youth Cup final at the Etihad.
City refused to move fixture
Jack Gaughan has revealed that the final will kick off at 7pm on Thursday, May 14, a day after Man City host Crystal Palace.
The FA asked the club if they would be happy having the match moved to Old Trafford, but keeping their home advantage was seen as a priority.
Were the final to be hosted at the Etihad Stadium, work on the North Stand would have to be paused ahead of a test event planned for May 20.
Man City have already got the better of United this season
The under-18s Premier League Group North has been wrapped up by Man City, after they defeated Derby Country last weekend.
Only six points separated City from the Red Devils, but this was enough for the Citizens to win the title, setting up a grand final fixture against Chelsea.
This will undoubtedly hand Oliver Reiss’ team a big boost heading into the Youth Cup final, as they know their campaign has been a greater success than United’s.
Man City must win their remaining home matches
The two matches happening at the Etihad Stadium are scheduled for May 9 and 13, as City take on Brentford and Crystal Palace respectively in the Premier League.
Like the under-18s team’s cup final, the stakes are high for the first-team, with Arsenal currently leading the way in the English top flight.
Therefore, beating the visiting London clubs is essential for the Sky Blues to have any shot at claiming a 10th league title.
