JJ Gabriel sees red as United U18s advance to Premier League Cup semi-finals in dramatic fashion

Manchester United Under-18s took on West Bromwich Albion Under-18s in the Premier League Cup on Tuesday afternoon. United advanced to the knockout stages, having topped their group with three wins from three, conceding no goals throughout the group stage. First half United started on the front foot and came narrowly close to opening the scoring early when Godwill Kukonki’s powerful effort from the edge of the box sailed just over the bar. Louie Bradbury put the young Red Devils ahead in the 15th minute when he finished inside the box from JJ Gabriel‘s free-kick delivery. Darren Fletcher’s side dominated possession throughout the first half and doubled their lead just after the half-hour mark. Lightning-quick play from Gabriel and Bendito Mantato saw the young Red Devils cut through West Bromwich Albion on the counter-attack before Jay McEvoy ran into the box to score past Maxwell Moses. Gabriel and Mantato combined again shortly after to open up space for Gabriel to feed Bradbury for his second of the match. Irish youth international McEvoy matched Bradbury with a brace of his own just moments before the half-time whistle. Mantato and Yuel Helafu connected down the right wing, which left a gap in the middle for McEvoy to exploit, scoring from close range. Second half West Bromwich Albion came out firing in the second half and pulled one back quickly through their captain, Charlie Blackshields, from long range. It looked to be smooth sailing for United on the day, but the tide turned shortly after when Gabriel was shown a straight red for a foul on Harry French. West Bromwich Albion then gained the upper hand, adding a second in the 80th minute when Rio Parmar converted at the back post after getting on the end of a cross. West Brom’s French was then sent off for dissent, as they lost their man advantage. The drama was not finished as the home side were awarded a penalty in stoppage time, which was tucked away by Parmar to make it 3-4. United breathed a sigh of relief shortly after when the final whistle came as they booked a spot in the semi-finals of the competition. Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and either Peterborough United or Crystal Palace will join United in the semi-finals, but before then United have an exciting Manchester derby to come this Saturday. Match facts United: Byrne-Hughes, Helafu, Mills, Armer (c), Kukonki, McCormack, McEvoy (Thwaites 63), Mantato (Watson 86), Gabriel, Brown (Plunkett 74), Bradbury (Ajayi 74). Unused subs: Heath. Scorers: Bradbury 15, 38, McEvoy 32, 45. Booked: Helafu 43, Bradbury 61, Plunkett 81. Sent off: Gabriel 54. Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Colm Murphy A football obsessed Canadian who moved to England to enjoy the beautiful game. Colm has been keen follower of Manchester United’s famed academy since seeing a fresh faced Adnan Januzaj for the club’s u18s and has been writing about football with a focus on youth development for over 10 years. You can follow him X: RedYouthUnited.