Six Mancunians featured in Jason Wilcox’s Manchester City youth side bidding to win the FA Youth Cup final though they face an uphill battle against Chelsea after losing the first leg.

Manchester United were the dominant team at Stamford Bridge on the weekend against leaders Chelsea but Eden Hazard’s first-half strike proved to be enough for Jose Mourinho’s side to move them within two victories of securing the league title.

Manchester United will be without Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones, Daley Blind and Michael Carrick as they seek to cause an upset at league leaders Chelsea on Saturday.

United dispatched relegation-threatened Aston Villa in confident fashion at Old Trafford, with a Ander Herrera double and a sublime Wayne Rooney strike sealing a 3-1 triumph to lift Van Gaal’s team into third.

Consecutive wins over Crewe Alexandra and bitter rivals Rochdale in ‘El Flatcapico’ helped Oldham end a three-game losing streak and revive hopes of a late push for the play-offs.

Man City defeated West Brom 3-0 at The Etihad on Saturday to keep pressure on the league leaders, only for Jose Mourinho’s men to beat Hull City 3-2 on Sunday.

Barely midway through March, the buzz around the Etihad has diminished and the hopes of Manchester City lifting silverware this season are hanging by a thread.

Reports of racism, sexism and anti-Semitism in football are on the rise, with 184 incidents of abuse already this season, but it’s not all bad, according to anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out.

City have a full squad available for tomorrow’s league tie against Leicester City at The Etihad and currently sit five points behind leaders Chelsea as they attempt to secure back-to-back top flight crowns.

City, after their damaging loss to Liverpool, remain five points behind Chelsea who have a game in hand after their Capital One Cup victory on Sunday, which Pellegrini believes they can peg back.

With crucial Champions League ties coming up, could it be the Premier League has hamstrung its own clubs’ progression in Europe by forcing upon them such a rigorous schedule over the festive period?