Man Utd youth star bags hat-trick and appears to be what Amorim needs

"Chido!" Manchester United Under-18s coach Adam Lawrence shouted in approval as Chido Obi-Martin confidently slotted home his 26th-minute equalizer.

The young striker showed no hesitation, calmly jogging back to his half, eager to restart play.

United had wasted earlier chances through Jack Fletcher and James Scanlon, but Obi-Martin made no such mistake.

Within 18 minutes, United turned a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead, with Lawrence praising the young forward repeatedly.

His hat-trick was completed in the 65th minute, capping off a dominant individual display.

Interestingly, the match sheet listed his name as ‘Chido Obi’, possibly hinting at his future international allegiance. Born in Denmark, he seems increasingly likely to represent Nigeria.

Obi-Martin has now scored seven goals in three FA Youth Cup matches, matching Alejandro Garnacho’s tally from United’s triumphant 2022 run—but in half the games.

The last time United defeated Chelsea in this competition at Leigh Sports Village, a 17-year-old Mason Greenwood netted a hat-trick in 2018, ending Chelsea’s five-year dominance.

United’s U18 squad is arguably the best in the country, and they now prepare for a quarter-final clash against Arsenal, whose youth team is weakened by the absence of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Despite the historic significance of United vs. Chelsea in the FA Youth Cup, the tie was not hosted at Old Trafford, reportedly due to cost-cutting measures.

Only 738 fans attended, but those who did might someday boast about witnessing Obi-Martin’s rise firsthand.

His clinical finishing stands in stark contrast to United’s senior strikers, Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee, who have struggled to find the net consistently.

Højlund, despite his squad number upgrade, has yet to justify the change, while Zirkzee only recently ended a 12-game goal drought against Leicester City.

When asked about Obi-Martin’s chances of breaking into the first team, United boss Ruben Amorim remained measured: "He’s doing his job. He’s improving, he’s playing in the youth teams. But we have other players in that position—Rasmus and Josh are there.

"We bought these two players, we need to improve them. Confidence can change a player. We will see at the end of the season."

Despite his caution, Amorim acknowledged that United must improve as a team to create more chances for their strikers.

Technical director Jason Wilcox and first-team coach Darren Fletcher were both in attendance, closely monitoring United’s next generation.

Wilcox’s background in academy development—honed during his five-year tenure at Manchester City’s youth setup—suggests a strong focus on integrating young talents into the senior team.

Fletcher, a key bridge between United’s academy and first team, previously advised Erik ten Hag on youth prospects and remains a vital figure under Amorim.

Obi-Martin turned 17 in November, but his performances at academy level—combined with his high-profile move from Arsenal last summer—have only fueled the excitement around him.

During the match, Chelsea’s defenders struggled to contain him: He towered over Landon Emenalo, son of former Chelsea sporting director Michael Emenalo.

Fellow center-back Olutayo Subuloye tried to physically engage with Obi-Martin but found himself grasping at thin air.

Yet, the young forward is not just a pure goal-scorer—he also has a selfless side. In the 82nd minute, he opted to set up substitute Victor Musa instead of taking the shot himself, demonstrating his awareness and teamwork.

Before being substituted, Obi-Martin mimicked Marcus Rashford’s famous celebration after scoring his second goal, a symbolic nod to past and future generations at United.

With Rashford’s breakthrough now nine years in the past and Mason Greenwood’s chapter at the club closed, Chido Obi-Martin represents the future.