Gallery: Academy prepare for Villa showdown

After suffering heartbreak in the FA Youth Cup against the same opposition, the young Blues will look to settle the scores at Villa Park on Saturday.

The game will be shown live on CITY+ ahead of the FA Cup final with a 13:00 kick-off (UK).

The National final sees the North title winners, City, take on the Southern equivalent in Aston Villa. 

City’s route to the final included an incredible 22-game winning run to top the table over our rivals, and last season’s National final winners Manchester United.

Saturday’s opponents, Villa, secured their place in the final with one game to go, fighting off Southampton, Arsenal and Chelsea. 

Here’s the best of today’s images...