After lifting the Premier League 2 League Phase and Play-Off trophies in 2024/25, the City youngsters went into the new season as defending champions, with a new, youthful squad ready to take on the challenge of Under-21s football.
Whilst we finished the term with no silverware, it was a season for Wilkinson’s side that saw monumental development in individuals and as a collective, the pinnacle for any Academy.
And there were many other stand-out moments from the campaign which we have detailed below…
Senior debuts
From the EDS, seven players made their debut for Pep Guardiola in what would be his final term at the helm.
Divine Mukasa, Jaden Heskey, Reigan Heskey, Charlie Gray, Max Alleyne, Ryan McAidoo and Stephen Mfuni all featured for the first-team and contributed to City recording the highest number of Academy minutes than any other Premier League team in all competitions.
On top of gaining priceless senior minutes with City, a clutch of players also got vital experience out on loan.
Mukasa (Leicester), Jaden Heskey (Sheffield Wednesday), Alleyne (Watford), Mfuni (Watford), Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (Celtic/FC Koln), Emilio Lawrence (Luton), Lakyle Samuel (Bromley), Sverre Nypan (Middlesbrough), Finley Burns (Reading), Oliver Whatmuff (Rochdale), Josh Wilson-Esbrand (Radomiak Radom), Tomas Galvez (Cambuur), Isaac Smith (Barnsley), Luca Fletcher (Ipswich), Divin Mubama (Stoke) and Joel Ndala (Hull/Sheffield Wednesday) all impressed across the EFL and Europe.
Rotation
36 players tallied minutes for Wilkinson’s side across nine months, with 18 finding the back of the net too.
The challenge of almost never having the same starting line-up each week provided the players with the unique opportunity to test themselves more by playing with different team-mates that each brought unique nuances to every game.
It was an environment that all of the Under-21s took in their stride and one they will surely be grateful for later in their careers.
Light at the end of the tunnel
After two losses in our opening three league games, at the hands of Chelsea and Manchester United, followed by difficult away defeats to Blackburn, Brighton and Everton, City struggled to solidify our place in the play-off spots.
Paired with our group exits in the EFL Trophy and Premier League International Cup, the next step was to see if our young Blues could take the difficult moments and turn them into phases that would push them to new heights in the latter half of the season.
And it’s fair to say they used the experience to their advantage.
From the end of January, City played nine PL2 League Phase fixtures, winning eight and losing just one.
Watch video for free with a Cityzens account
We scored a staggering 32 goals and conceded just three in an incredible turnaround in form that saw us finish the League Phase in third place, just three points off winners Chelsea, and with the best goal difference of 38.
Play-off wins over Arsenal and Aston Villa followed before exiting the knockouts after a 4-3 defeat to Manchester United in the semi-final.
European lessons
On top of competing in the prestigious UEFA Youth League, City participated in the Premier League International Cup for the first time in a decade.
The competition provided some of the EDS’ more senior members the opportunity to gain European experience and this came in the form of games against Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, Monaco and PSV Eindhoven.
Our results included a 2-2 stalemate with PSV followed by a 1-1 draw with Real Madrid. A 3-1 win over RB Leipzig before a 3-1 defeat to Monaco saw us place fifth and as a result call time on our European journey.
Our other European action saw us beat Napoli Monaco, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid in the Youth League League Phase to advance to the knockouts.
In below freezing temperatures and tasked with also facing a snowy pitch, the curtain fell on our Youth League when we lost 5-4 in our penalty shootout at HJK Helsinki after a thrilling 3-3 draw.
All of these experiences will undoubtedly put all our players in good stead for next season as they continue to work towards senior football.
