Man City showcase latest crop of stars as Pep Guardiola seeks to avoid Cole Palmer repeat
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There was a sense of a changing of the guard on and off the pitch as Manchester City buried their neighbouring League Two opponents under an avalanche of goals. On the pitch, young midfielder James McAtee grabbed a hat-trick, striker Davin Mubama scored on his debut, Nico O'Reilly also got on the scoresheet, while fellow defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey helped keep a clean sheet.
Off it, City boss Pep Guardiola revealed Kyle Walker, club captain and long-standing right-back, wants to leave after eight years, which was the reason for his omission from the matchday squad. Whether Walker has played his last game for City remains to be seen, but there was a definite sense here of a glimpse into the club's future, with several youngsters underlining their huge potential.
As well as Walker, this is likely to be the last season at City for playmaker Kevin De Bruyne and midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, as Guardiola embarks on his latest rebuild, of which several of the youngsters who starred here are bidding to be a part of. McAtee has struggled for minutes this season, but proved his worth with an impressive performance, capped by his hat-trick. Captain of City's successful youth side, he played with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Romeo Lavia, Liam Delap and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, all of whom left the Premier League champions for regular football elsewhere.
Salford-born McAtee may end up following the same route as his former team-mates, but Palmer's formidable impact at Chelsea and emergence as one of the best players in the country is a reminder to City and Guardiola of the folly in letting young talent leave too soon.
