With the FA Youth Cup final tightly poised ahead of the second leg, Manchester City Under-18s manager Jason Wilcox insists his side have what it takes to pry the title from Chelsea’s grasp.
However, the former winger knows they still have some way to go to match the Londoners’ dominance.
Chelsea v Manchester City
The FA Youth Cup Final
Second leg
7.45pm, Wednesday 27 April 2016
Stamford Bridge, London
Wednesday’s second leg at Stamford Bridge sees the sides locked at 1-1 after Mason Mount fired Chelsea ahead shortly after half-time, only for Aaron Nemane to level with 20 minutes remaining.
That all makes for an intriguing second 90 minutes as Manchester City bid to avoid a repeat of last year’s 5-2 aggregate final loss to Chelsea.
But last season’s fall at the final hurdle was far from being reason to rip up the script and start again with Chelsea having featured in five of the last six showpieces, winning four of them.
And while Wilcox longs for the day when Manchester City can match those achievements of Chelsea, he admits that Wednesday isn’t a bad place to start.
Manchester City coach Jason Wilcox during the first leg
“There will be no special messages to the players before the game,” he said. “They know they are capable of winning, but we will have to play better than we did in the first leg.
“All the tactical work has been done throughout the course of the season, so with the two legs being so close together, it has been about getting them in the right frame of mind to perform.
“Playing at Stamford Bridge is always a fantastic experience. Due to it being a cup final, it obviously gives it an extra edge and the lads are really looking forward to it. It's a great experience for both players and staff.
“Chelsea have been at the forefront of youth development for quite a long time and I'm sure they will continue to be so.
“Once we are competing in finals on a regular basis and winning the majority like they are, will we then be able to look back and compare.”
Watch FATV highlights from the first leg of the 2016 FA Youth Cup Final
Jay Dasilva has been part of the Chelsea side that has lifted the FA Youth Cup trophy in each of the past two years – beating Manchester City last year after squeezing past rivals Fulham 7-6 in 2014.
The defender sat out both legs of the semi-final against Blackburn due to injury but, after starting the game at City, he is raring to go with the outcome still in the balance.
“The first leg was a good game for us. It was very close, they’re a good team and made us work really hard,” said Dasilva, who was involved as Chelsea’s Under-19s retained the UEFA Youth League earlier in the week in Switzerland.
“They have quick forward players that look to play on the shoulder and go in behind but I thought we dealt with it well.
“It was my first 90 minutes for a while but I felt good. It was a good test for me to play against their forwards but even after being out injured I thought I dealt with it pretty well.
“Last year we won the first leg more comfortably but I think this result will keep us on our toes and ready for the second leg knowing that we need to still get the job done.”
Chelsea's players celebrate their 2015 title
The 2016 FA Youth Cup Final second leg will be shown live on ITV4 from 7.30pm, with updates via The FA's Twitter account.
