Last week, when discussing the number of Manchester City players who have left the club this summer, Pep Guardiola said that not enough youngsters have the patience to stay and develop in the academy.
In the transfer window, four academy players left for Southampton in deals that could top £40m, while Darko Gyabi joined Leeds for £5m and the majority of last year's under-23 side left on loan or were released. Guardiola also acknowledged the lack of competitiveness in the Premier League 2 — a competition City have won for the past two years.
So it felt like a test for the new-look academy side in their UEFA Youth League opener, a competition the Blues have struggled in over recent years. If Guardiola and City were looking for more challenges for their youngsters, this was it.
