Preview: Man United battle Crystal Palace to lift U18s Premier League Cup | OneFootball

Manchester United Under-18s battle for the Premier League Cup tonight against Crystal Palace. The cup final takes place at Selhurst Park, the home of opponents Crystal Palace, and a limited number of tickets are still available.

The two sides clashed last week in the FA Youth Cup semi-finals, which was a hotly contested affair that saw United come out on top in extra time.

Road to the finals

United started the competition by convincingly topping their group with three wins from three. United’s dominance in the group stage was clear, as Darren Fletcher‘s side scored 12 goals and did not concede a single one.

The young Red Devils’ run began back in August with a 4-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion at home, before dispatching Middlesbrough 2-0 away and finishing the group with a 6-0 thumping of Birmingham City. In the quarter-finals, United faced off with West Bromwich Albion and looked to continue their group stage form, taking a 4-0 lead in the first half.

A controversial red card to JJ Gabriel in the second half, which was later overturned, turned what seemed a convincing win into a panic as United ultimately held onto a 4-3 win.

United then exacted revenge on West Ham in the semi-finals. The East London club had knocked United out of the competition last year before going on to lift the trophy.

In another tense affair, the match went to extra time before substitutes Junior Brown and Kai Rooney sealed the victory to put United into the finals.

Ones to watch

United are expected to field a strong team on the night, with a cup on the line which could be the first of three trophies, having also advanced to the FA Youth Cup final and being in the midst of a league title charge with Manchester City. Two of United’s stars, Jim Thwaites and Dan Armer, who have been compared stylistically to David Beckham and Harry Maguire, spoke in a candid interview ahead of the cup final.

Hot off the back of being on the bench for the first team, set-piece specialist Thwaites is expected to be back in the Under-18s fold for the final, where he could play a key part. United’s star striker Chido Obi, who helped fire United into the FA Youth Cup final on Friday, has not played a part in any of the Premier League Cup fixtures so far but may also drop down for such a big occasion.

United’s top goal scorers in the competition so far are Samuel Lusale and Jay McEvoy, tied with three each, but a total of 12 different players have scored, showing the strength in depth the squad has.

U18s Premier League Cup Manchester United scorers

The opponents

United’s opponents on the night beat the odds to top their group, which was the clear group of death, featuring both Manchester City and Chelsea. Palace started with a 3-3 draw against Manchester City before defeating Sheffield United and ultimately topped the group courtesy of a 4-0 thumping of Chelsea.

In the knockout stages, Palace defeated Peterborough United before getting past Tottenham Hotspur with a 1-0 scoreline to qualify for the finals for the first time ever.

Ahead of the final, Palace’s manager Javier Alonso said “it’s amazing for us and the academy, especially as it’s at Selhurst Park. It is the first time we have played in the final and we can’t wait. It means everything.”

Featured image Lewis Storey via Getty Images

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