Despite an unbeaten 2016 in the U18 Premier League, City were Youth Cup runners-up in 2015/16 after a 3-1 loss at Stamford Bridge following a draw in the first leg.
Lee Carsley replaced Jason Wilcox as U18 boss in the summer and his side have continued that excellent form into this season and currently sit top of the north section of the Premier League.
City emphatically beat Reading to reach this stage and although they are recognised as one of the favourites to lift Youth Cup in May, Allen will not look past the Liverpool game.
He said: “Every year you set out your targets and the Youth Cup is always one of the most important competitions for any academy. As with every knockout cup competition, you have to take it one game at a time and not look any further than the next round.”
Allen believes last year’s defeat has helped motivate everyone within the academy set-up to achieve even more in the coming months.
“I thought we were unfortunate last year, I actually thought we would win it last year but circumstances seemed to conspire against us at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of the final. That’s made everybody more focused and determined to do well,” he added.
City welcome Liverpool to the Academy Stadium in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup on Wednesday 18 January. Visit the ticket office for more information on how you can support our future.
Want to keep up with the latest EDS and academy news? Follow the official Twitter account, @ManCityAcademy.
