I heard what Manchester United staff said to Chido Obi-Martin and he gives them what they are missing

"Chido," the Manchester United Under-18s coach Adam Lawrence yelled, before offering applause. Chido Obi-Martin never looked like missing his 26th-minute equaliser.

Obi-Martin nonchalantly jogged back into his own half, eager to restart the game. United ought to have led but Jack Fletcher and James Scanlon did not connect cleanly with the ball. Obi-Martin did. Within 18 minutes, they went from 1-0 down to 3-1 up.

Lawrence yelled "well done" to Obi-Martin as early as the third minute and there was another in the 28th. Then a third in the 54th minute. Those two words sufficed for Sir Alex Ferguson if ever one of his players had performed.

The only time Obi-Martin erred was when he failed to round the 'keeper and momentarily felt sorry for himself. Lawrence soon jolted him. Obi-Martin completed his hat-trick in the 65th minute.

The teamsheet read 'Chido Obi', a name-change possibly foreshadowing Obi-Martin's national team allegiance. He was born in Denmark but is seemingly destined to represent Nigeria.

Obi-Martin now has seven goals in three FA Youth Cup games. That is as many as Alejandro Garnacho tallied during the triumphant Youth Cup run in 2022 in half as many games. The last time United beat Chelsea in the competition at Leigh Sports Village in 2018, a 17-year-old Mason Greenwood hit a hat-trick.

Chelsea had monopolised the Youth Cup back then and were beaten for the first time in five years. United's under-18 age group is arguably the best in the country, with Arsenal's deprived of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly. United head to Arsenal in the quarter-finals.

It was a travesty that Old Trafford did not host this tie between the Youth Cup's two most successful clubs. Cost-cutting measures have been cited but not