Man Utd teen puts Arsenal signing in shade as Welsh talent now impossible to ignore
Manchester United's Under-18s have been in sensational form this season and continued their run with a 5-0 win over Coventry City in the FA Youth Cup on Wednesday night
Manchester United's Academy is thriving, with the under-18s team boasting an impressive record this season.
The young Red Devils have won all 10 of their league matches so far and recently advanced in the FA Youth Cup with a resounding 5-0 victory over Coventry City. This win sets them up for a home match against Preston North End in the last 32 as they aim to reclaim the trophy they last won in 2022, reports the Manchester Evening News
Under the guidance of Adam Lawrence, the team has dominated domestically, and their triumph over Coventry was no exception. United quickly established a three-goal lead within the first 13 minutes and added two more in the second half to secure the win.
Chido Obi-Martin, the star striker who made headlines with his high-profile transfer from Arsenal over the summer, continues to impress at United. The Danish youngster scored twice against Coventry, but it was another forward who truly shone.
Welshman Gabriele Biancheri netted a hat-trick, maintaining his excellent scoring streak at the age-group level. He has eight goals in six appearances in the Under-18 league, where Obi-Martin has scored five in five.
Additionally, the former Cardiff City man has scored three in four in the UEFA Youth League, marking a standout season.
The young footballer made an electrifying impact for United in the Youth Cup match, striking early with two goals in the initial 10 minutes.
At just three minutes into the game, the 18-year-old sensation scored the opener, rapidly following it up with another goal for United at the 10-minute mark.
Obi-Martin then seized his chance to shine, finding the net only a mere three minutes after being set up by Biancheri. Both players proved their mettle again in the latter half, with Obi-Martin fiercely converting a free-kick from just outside the area and Biancheri securing a goal towards the end of the play.
Despite the victory, there was a small blight on the impressive performance as Biancheri missed out on a hat-trick when his penalty awarded after he was brought down was saved by the opposition's keeper Luis Lines.
Reflecting on Biancheri's ambitious nature, coach Lawrence shared post-match: "The first thing he said to be at the end was he should have scored six," while lauding the dynamic pairing and goal-scoring prowess of both players, despite their natural inclination to lead the line as strikers.
Lawrence elaborated on the tactical approach: "Gabe started off the left but we did a bit of work with him when we had possession of the ball with Harry Amass playing higher on that side with Gabe playing closer to Chido."
The manager acknowledged the challenge of having two number nines on the field, stating: "Obviously they're both number nines so it was trying to find a way where they're both in the team but trying to utilise both of their qualities. I think their understanding between each other and the way they played with one another was really good."
Following his transition from Cardiff City to United in 2023, Biancheri, a Welsh Under-19 international, has since netted an impressive 16 goals in 17 matches across various competitions this season.