Lee Carsley’s side face Stoke City in the first leg of the final four tie on Friday evening having seen off Reading, Southampton, Liverpool and Aston Villa and tickets are free for all.
Best goal
Tom Dele-Bashiru v Liverpool –
Jadon Sancho had given the Liverpool defence twisted blood throughout the early periods of the fourth round tie and when yet another cross was cleared away, it looked the Reds were hanging on.
However, the ball fell to midfielder Tom Dele-Bashiru on the edge of the box and the 17-year-old rifled an unstoppable left footed effort home.
Best player
Two excellent finishes across the goalkeepers of both Reading and Southampton have been crucial for City but it’s Foden work outside of the box that makes him so important for Carsley’s team.
Foden has excellent spatial awareness and his ability to use his body to protect the ball allows him to open up the pitch within seconds and change the direction of attack before the defence has time to react.
The speed with which Foden can transform defence into attack means he is a vital component in City’s efficient and lethal machine.
Best moment
It seemed almost certain that we would be heading to extra time at Villa Park in City’s quarter-final but then Matt Smith stepped up.
The versatile Welsh youth international, this time performing in defensive midfield, had been a driving force for City throughout the evening but it was his late winner that got the City following out of their seats.
Smith collected the ball on the edge of the box, shifted it right and fired across the goal and through a crowded area. The sheer joy of the celebration demonstrated just how much it meant to the youngsters.
There will be full coverage of Manchester City v Stoke City on mancity.com and on Twitter at @ManCityAcademy.
