It's been a summer of change at Manchester City and that doesn't just mean the first team.
While Pep Guardiola has ushered in a new, perhaps even more exciting, era with the arrivals of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez and the departures of Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus, that feeling of rejuvenation and a new beginning is reflected throughout the club's youth sides.
City achieved a remarkable clean sweep last season, with the seniors, Under-23s and Under-18s all winning their league titles and, while there's been plenty of change in those young sides as well. Of the 16 players involved in the final game of last season, a 7-0 hammering of Everton, only Miki van Sas, Luke Mbete, Rico Lewis and skipper Shea Charles were involved as the Blues took on Leicester City on Sunday, their first home game of the season.
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Several vital members of the side have moved on. Captain CJ Egan-Riley has left for Burnley, Romeo Lavia has gone to Southampton, James McAtee is out on loan to Sheffield United, Kayky in Portugal, Cole Palmer is injured (and has been permanently promoted to the first team anyway) and Liam Delap was involved with the seniors on Saturday. Plenty more players are no longer with the club as well. That's a significant core of a team to lose but it's natural at youth level, where the aim is development and promotion and serves to usher in the new era.
The talent conveyor belt certainly doesn't appear to have stalled yet. The Under-23s defeated Liverpool 3-0 in their first outing last weekend and carried that on with a convincing 3-1 win over Leicester City at a sun-kissed Academy Stadium. Brian-Murphy isn't confident of making it three league title triumphs in succession this year - telling the Manchester Evening News it 'won't happen' - but they've certainly made a great start and aren't showing many signs of slowing down despite all the changes.
The lack of experience in the side did show in the early stages though as a few sloppy passes, perhaps due to jitters, stunted the early play as a physically stronger Leciester side looked to impose themselves. But physicality counts for little and the Blues soon began to find their rhythm, with the more senior centre-back pairing of Mbete and Finley Burns - back after his loan to Swansea last season - dictated the play.
Another figure who been involved in the first-team plenty recently is Joshua Wilson-Esbrand. He was deployed further forward than his usual left-back position on the left wing and was a constant outlet for the centre-backs on the diagonal. His speed and close control frightened the Foxes' defenders who repeatedly had to drag him back to snuff out his threat.
City's relentless recycling of the ball grew frustrating quickly for their opponents but it was actually a route one move that would make Sam Allardyce proud for the opener. A simple long ball over the defence from the back was brought down brilliantly by Carlos Borges who left his marker in his wake before calmly slotting home.
An alarming moment came shortly afterwards when Wilson-Esbrand clattered into Leicester's Iestyn Hughes as the two contended for a header. Hughes suffered a nasty blow in the accidental collision and required lengthy treatment from physios and paramedics before being stretchered off the pitch.
The lengthy stoppage disrupted City's momentum and a couple of minutes after the game got back underway the visitors were level. Juan Larios was dispossessed in a dangerous area by Tawanda Maswanhise who ran unopposed towards before his shot deflected off an attempted block and looped into the net.
It was the first setback the EDS have suffered so far this season but they reacted to it well and immediately went on the attack. Wilson-Esbrand got the better of Hughes' replacement, Joe Wormleighton, to tee up Oscar Bobb who was eventually snuffed out before Daniel Ogwuru hit a shot just wide from 25 yards out. But Leicester were certainly buoyed by their equaliser and should have gone ahead when Wormleighton teed up an unmarked Maswanhise who scuffed his effort.
Dire Mebude may have felt aggrieved not to start after his double against Liverpool but it was his introduction in the 55th minute that sparked a game that had turned sluggish in the stifling heat back to life. Within three minutes of coming on he had found the back of net, breaking through the backline to latch on to a through ball before coolly dispatching into the bottom corner.
The Scotland U19 international has made a brilliant start in the EDS this season and his introduction tipped the momentum back into Cit's favour. He was at the heart of every City attack and only a last-ditch block prevented him from finishing off a wonderful move that he had begun in the middle of the park. Then he blasted over from Borges' cut-back, a chance he should have done better with.
It was no surprise when City added a third. A well-worked corner routine was eventually hammered into the net by centre-back Jadel Katongo. Mebude should at least have had a hat-trick to his name and got another opportunity when he was played in by Kian Brecklin but hit his low shot straight at the goalkeeper but his game-changing impact will certainly help soften any disappointment.
City saw out the game comfortable to make it two wins out of two in their defender of the Premier League 2 title. They've certainly made a good start in proving their manager wrong.
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