Pep Guardiola praises three qualities of Man City U18s after Premier League title win

Pep Guardiola says Manchester City's under-18s have won their national title by showing a mix of mental strength and technical style, as the youth team beat Southampton on Thursday to be crowned U18 Premier League national champions for the third season running.

City's youngsters fell behind at Southampton, with the winners of the Northern and Southern divisions facing each other for a national final to determine who takes the overall crown of champions. City have achieved that accolade for the last two seasons and made it three-in-a-row with a hard-fought comeback at St Mary's.

Tai Sodje and Dire Mebude scored the goals to give City a 2-1 lead, which was successfully defended in the second half, and Guardiola was quick to praise the Blues at full time.

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Praising City's mentality, consistency and style, Guardiola said: “What our under-18s have achieved again this season is remarkable. Winning their league once was exceptional – to defend it 12 months later says everything about their mentality and consistency.

“But what is most impressive is their style. They win by playing the game the right way and for young players, there is no better education than this.

“The league is the ultimate test. You have to play so many games – home and away against every team – and whoever is there on top at the end of the season is the best team and deserves to be champions. I want to say a huge congratulations to Ben [Wilkinson, head coach], his staff and all the players. Enjoy this moment - you deserve to celebrate!”

The title win means City have won the national titles at under-23 and under-18 level this season - just as they did last year - as