Aston Villa 2-1 Liverpool: Villa's young Lions clinch FA Youth Cup glory

Aston Villa 2-1 Liverpool: Hosts clinch FA Youth Cup glory in front of Dean Smith and John Terry at Villa Park after edging to victory over Reds’ U18s with Ben Chrisene and Brad Young on target

  • Aston Villa have won the FA Youth Cup after beating Liverpool at Villa Park 
  • Villa took an early lead when Ben Chrisene latched on to a cut back and fired in 
  • Just minutes later, Villa were awarded a penalty and Brad Young coolly netted 
  • Liverpool got one back to keep their dreams alive through Melkamu Frauendorf 


Aston Villa won their fourth FA Youth Cup – and first since 2002 – with a commanding display in a 2-1 win against Liverpool at Villa Park.

Ben Chrisene and a Brad Young penalty inside the first 11 minutes inflicted the damage, but the scoreline did not do full justice to their performance and, while Melkamu Frauendorf’s volley deflected in off Seb Revan with 15 minutes to go created some late pressure, the hosts handled it.

Six of Villa’s side, watched by first-team head coach Dean Smith and backroom staff John Terry and Craig Shakespeare, started against Liverpool’s first team in the FA Cup defeat in January after a Covid-19 outbreak sidelined the seniors.

Aston Villa have won the FA Youth Cup after edging beyond Liverpool's starlets at Villa Park

Aston Villa have won the FA Youth Cup after edging beyond Liverpool’s starlets at Villa Park

Ben Chrisene netted the opener for Villa after latching onto a pullback and then firing home

Ben Chrisene netted the opener for Villa after latching onto a pullback and then firing home

That experience showed during the early stages as a team which had scored 26 goals in five ties ran rings around opposition who had conceded only three times – and never more than twice – on the way to the final.

There was an element of panic about Liverpool’s opening 25 minutes and it was not a great spell for centre back Billy Koumetio, the only Reds player with first-team experience, having played 45 minutes against Midtjylland in December’s Champions League dead rubber.

He carelessly conceded a corner which allowed Villa to keep the ball in the final third and the cutback from Arjan Raikhy was clinically dispatched by Chrisene.

Brad Young was felled inside the box for a Villa penalty and dusted himself down to then fire in

Brad Young was felled inside the box for a Villa penalty and dusted himself down to then fire in

James Balagizi was bright for the Reds, who were ultimately left frustrated in the Midlands

James Balagizi was bright for the Reds, who were ultimately left frustrated in the Midlands

Filip Marschall looked to field a cross into the penalty area as Liverpool pushed on for a goal

Filip Marschall looked to field a cross into the penalty area as Liverpool pushed on for a goal

Koumetio then got caught the wrong side of Young, who went down running away from goal, having been accidentally clipped by the recovering defender. The livewire striker picked himself up to chip home the 11th-minute penalty.

Both goalscorers then hit the same post in separate attacks as they threatened to overwhelm their opponents, with the languid Carney Chukwuemeka pulling the strings in midfield.

Liverpool’s three best chances fell to playmaker Mateusz Musialowski but all missed the target.

Getting to half-time only two goals down represented something of a success for Liverpool, but substitute Frauendorf’s deflected shot came too late to change the outcome.

Melamu Frauendorf (right) pulled a goal back for Liverpool as a deflected volley found the net

Melamu Frauendorf (right) pulled a goal back for Liverpool as a deflected volley found the net

Villa's assistant head coach John Terry was at the ground to watch the Young Lions' triumph

Villa’s assistant head coach John Terry was at the ground to watch the Young Lions’ triumph

source: dailymail.co.uk