Under lead coach Ben Wilkinson’s inspired tutelage, our Under-21s secured both the 2024/25 Premier League 2 league phase and subsequent play-off titles to add to the Club’s magnificent haul of silverware.
Furthermore, the year also saw a host of hugely talented young players afforded senior debuts to further extend the Academy’s proud record of producing and honing top-class emerging talent.
As 2025 draws to a close, we take a look back and reflect on what has been 12 months to both remember and savour.
Silver saluteS
Winning trophies is far from the only template that is used to measure success and development within the Academy cohort – but it often serves as a telling barometer to gauge the true depth of talent coming through the production pipeline.
And this year served to emphasise once again that City have honed another crop of outstanding young players.
Having overseen a period of sustained success with our Under-18s, lead coach Ben Wilkinson made the transition to an identical role within our EDS set-up with aplomb.
So much so that the City youngsters rounded off a quite a magnificent 2024/25 PL2 campaign by going on to claim notable twin silverware.
After falling to a defeat in the opening game of the campaign, Wilkinson’s squad embarked on a magnificent 10-game winning run, with the regular season eventually closing with 15 triumphs, two draws and three defeats as City topped the table with 47 points.
Accruing a record number of wins and points in the new format of the PL2, City also scored an impressive 61 goals and conceded just 23 to boast a goal difference of 38, setting another new record for the competition.
That outstanding form continued into the play-offs with victories over Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United setting the scene for a final clash with Southampton where the young Blues prevailed 2-0 to claim an unprecedented fourth PL2 crown in five years.
Fittingly, EDS skipper Jahmai Simpson-Pusey was subsequently named as the PL2 Player of the Year – his award marking the first time a defender had claimed the prestigious prize
Senior service
During Pep Guardiola’s glittering near decade at the helm as City manager, a host of young Academy talent have been afforded opportunities at senior level by the boss.
And opportunity knocked once again for several exciting young EDS players across the course of 2025.
At the start of the year striker Divin Mubama – currently on loan at Stoke City – marked his senior City debut by finding the target in an 8-0 FA Cup third round triumph over Salford City.
More senior service then followed at the outset of this season.
September’s 2-0 Carabao Cup win at Huddersfield proved a real occasion to savour for our Academy, with eight homegrown players featuring in total.
Exciting creative midfielder Divine Mukasa was handed a starting place to chalk up his senior City debut – and he was then joined by EDS colleagues Jaden and Reigan Heskey who were both summoned off the bench to become the first brothers to make their Blues debut in the same match.
There was then another memorable moment in our Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Brentford earlier this month when holding midfielder Charlie Gray joined the illustrious rank of EDS players to have made their senior first team debuts.
With the likes of highly rated defender Stephen Mfuni having also featured in Pep Guardiola’s squad on a number of occasions already this term, it might not be too long before even more emerging young talent are awarded their senior breakthrough.
Euro vision
It wasn’t just domestically where Wilkinson’s charges caught the eye across 2025.
Having progressed through to the knockout stage of the 2024/25 UEFA Youth League, the City youngsters then produced a series of memorable performances across the knockout stage.
City overcame FC Midtjylland on penalties in the round of 32 before a fine 2-1 last-16 triumph over Hoffenheim saw us progress to the quarter-final of the competition for the first time since 2017/18.
A late 1-0 defeat at AZ Alkmaar was a harsh way to see the young Blues’ European quest end – but laid down a marker as to the ability, character and rich potential within the group.
The class of 205/26 have picked up that baton so far in this season’s Youth League tournament, again illustrating the talent, technique and temperament that underpin City’s Academy.
A 6-0 home win against Bayer Leverkusen Under-19s in our penultimate league phase fixture was then followed by a stunning 4-0 triumph away at Real Madrid.
That victory not only cemented City’s place in the Round of 32, it also served as one of the Academy’s finest-ever displays on European soil.
Now all attention is focused on February’s Round of 32 assignment at HJK Helsinki with the squad seeking to build on the momentum from those two magnificent final league phase displays.
Meanwhile City have also made an encouraging start on our return to the Premier League International Cup.
Taking part in the tournament for the first time in almost a decade, our Under-21s are so far unbeaten in our group phase having drawn 2-2 with PSV Eindhoven and then having also shared the spoils with Real Madrid via a 1-1 draw.
With home games to come against RB Leipzig and AS Monaco in the New Year, the young Blues will be seeking to build on that positive first two games.
New faces
The advent of the 2025/26 saw a phalanx of new emerging talent elevated into our Under-21s.
And it’s fair to say the fresh arrivals have already more than made their presence felt having made the step-up from Under-18s level.
For his part Wilkinson is adamant that his reshaped squad will only get better and better the longer the season goes on and their understanding grows
The likes of Ryan McAidoo, Reigan Heskey, Matty Warhurst and Kian Noble - to name just a few - have all made the jump in impressive fashion, belying their tender years.
And having had five months to get acclimatised to the unique demands of Under-21 football, they will only go from strength to strength looking to the second half of the season and beyond.
City v Brighton tickets on general sale
We welcome an entertaining Brighton side to the Etihad at 19:30 (UK) on Wednesday 7 January.
And with tickets now on general sale, you could be there to see it!
Fans can now claim three tickets each, with adults from £30 and concessions as low as £15.
Or make it a night to remember with hospitality packages starting from just £180 per person and a wide range of experiences available to suit your budget.
