Manchester City may be romping away at the top of the Premier League but their rivals are reasserting their dominance in an area that the club has always held dear.
Before this weekend’s matches, Manchester United’s academy products had played a total of 3,866 minutes.
That’s over 550 times more than the minutes played by City’s precocious Phil Foden during a fleeting seven-minute spell as a substitute against Spurs back in December.
Foden – the star of the England under-17 side that soundly thrashed Spain in the World Cup final in October – will doubtless get lengthier run-outs in future.
But other academy products at the big spending Premier League leaders will struggle to get a look-in, despite the club having reached the FA Youth Cup final three years in succession.
United’s total figure is skewed slightly as a result of Paul Pogba being included as a graduate, although United can certainly claim to have played a key role in his development before his departure to Juventus in July 2012.
But the emergence of local lads Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard as regular starters, coupled with the progress of Scott McTominay have, to a certain extent, insulated United fans against the disappointment of seeing City streak ahead of them in a title race that already looks done and dusted.
It also continues a proud tradition of youth development stretching all the way back to Busby Babes in the 1950s.
It’s not that City’s academy isn’t producing gems.
The club’s progress in the FA Youth Cup is testimony to that – despite losing all three finals to Chelsea, another club that has historically failed to bring through its own academy products.
Although Manchester City were knocked out at the first hurdle by Plymouth Argyle in this season’s competition, the club is still investing huge amounts in their youth set-up.
“We are building a structure for the future not just a team of all-stars”, is a quote from Sheikh Mansour, writ large on the wall as you enter one of the most advanced youth academies in world football.
The reality is, though, that breaking into one of the most complete squads, let alone teams, ever assembled in English football takes something extraordinary.
Last season no academy graduates played a minute of Premier League football for the club, although 20-year-old English defender, Tosin Adarabioyo, made two appearances in the Champions League.
The £200m City Football Academy was opened in 2014 but you have to go back all the way to 2005 to remember when a youngster from one of English football’s most previously prolific production lines broke into the first team and threatened permanency.
Micah Richards would go on to play for England but would struggle to hold down a first team place in a City side that has consistently attracted some of world football’s biggest stars since the takeover that has transformed the club’s fortunes in September 2008.
Football is a results business, though, and having drawn a blank in his first year as City boss, Pep Guardiola can’t be blamed for putting his faith in the players who have won matches and plaudits in equal measure this season.
Delivering the title may only take Guardiola two seasons.
Making good on Sheikh Mansour’s high-profile promise might take a lot longer.