It has been a hugely successful 12 months for our young charges, with a second successive Under-18 Premier League North title and phenomenal unbeaten home record to show for our exploits.
City were crowned Under-18 National champions under Carlos Vicens’ guidance in 2020-21 and, since he joined Pep Guardiola’s staff ahead of the current campaign, Ben Wilkinson has presided over a similarly successful reign thus far.
City are within touching distance of league leaders Blackburn after ten matches of the new season and have an FA Youth Cup fourth round tie with Brighton to look forward to in the new year.
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We have also successfully reached the quarter-finals of the Under-18 Premier League Cup, a competition in which City are hoping to claim a third consecutive title.
Reflect on a phenomenal year for City’s Under-18s by checking out some of the numbers behind our success in 2021, including top scorers and biggest winning margins, below…
Total wins
In 31 matches across 2021, our Under-18s have tasted victory on 22 occasions in all competitions.
That equates to a win percentage of over 70% across the calendar year, with City tasting defeat on just four occasions in that time.
The bulk over those victories have, unsurprisingly, come in the Under-18 Premier League, where Ben Wilkinson’s youngsters have earned maximum points 18 times in 25 matches.
In three FA Youth Cup matches, City have won two and lost one, while a further two wins and one draw have followed from this season’s Premier League Cup exploits.
Total goals
City have found the net a phenomenal 94 times in 2021, averaging out at over three goals per game across the calendar year.
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Wilkinson’s young charges have found the net nine times apiece in the FA Youth Cup and Premier League Cup, with another 76 coming in the U18 Premier League.
With just 25 conceded in the league in the past 12 months it means that, for every goal that City have shipped, we have replied with three of our own.
Top scorers
Tai Sodje’s 10-goal haul sees him end 2021 as City’s top scorer.
The forward was on target 19 times across the 2020-21 Under-18 Premier League campaign before progressing to our Elite Development Squad ahead of the new season.
Carlos Borges comes in a close second with nine goals and an impressive 13 assists, while our leading marksman so far this season is Daniel Ogwuru with seven strikes in all competitions.
Unbeaten home record
City maintained our astonishing unbeaten home record in the U18 Premier League across the calendar year, winning 11 and drawing one of our 12 matches at the CFA.
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Ben Wilkinson’s youngsters were on target an impressive 40 times during that period, while we only conceded on ten occasions in 2021.
Our unbeaten home run stretches back 21 league games in total, with our last league defeat at the CFA coming back in November 2019.
Largest winning margin
Our Under-18s have won by a five-goal margin on three separate occasions in 2021, including two 5-0 triumphs against Stoke City in March and May.
But City’s 6-1 victory away to Derby in October represents our largest win of the past 12 months.
Ben Wilkinson’s youngsters were three goals to the good inside a blistering 12 minutes at the CFA, with Daniel Ogwuru scoring four times.
Full stat breakdown:
Under-18 Premier League
Played: 25
Won: 18
Drawn: 4
Lost: 3
Goals for: 76
Goals against: 25
FA Youth Cup
Played: 3
Won: 2
Drawn: 0
Lost: 1
Goals for: 9
Goals against: 2
Under-18 Premier League Cup
Played: 3
Won: 2
Drawn: 1
Lost: 0
Goals for: 9
Goals against: 4
Overall record (all competitions)
Played: 31
Won: 22
Drawn: 5
Lost: 4
Goals for: 94
Goals against: 31
