Not only are Liverpool and Manchester City slugging it out for the Premier League title, but their kids are poised to compete for FA Youth Cup glory as well.
The two youth teams go head-to-head for the prestigious under-18 trophy in the first-ever one-legged final at City's Academy Stadium on Thursday evening.
There will be a new name on the trophy this year because Chelsea, who have lifted the trophy in each of the past five seasons, were eliminated by Manchester United back in the third round.
Liverpool are pushing for the Under-18 Premier League title in the Northern Section and probably start the final as marginal favourites despite City having home advantage.
The Reds have won the trophy three times in their history - the last time coming in 2007 - while City have won it twice but not since 2008.
Ahead of Thursday's final, which will be televised live on BT Sport 1, we profile the players hoping to make a name for themselves.
MANCHESTER CITY
Louie Moulden - the Bolton-born goalkeeper has been between the sticks for City all the way through this season's FA Youth Cup run. Set to play against his former club as Moulden was in Liverpool's academy earlier in his career. Is the son of the 1980s City player Paul Moulden.
Alpha Dionkou - all-action right-back who was born in Senegal but represents Spain at under-17 level. City saw off strong competition from Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid to sign Dionkou from Real Mallorca at the age of 15 back in 2017.
Eric Garcia - the team's captain and a commanding centre-half. Garcia was coaxed away from Barcelona's academy to join City in the summer of 2017 which is astonishing considering Nou Camp legend Carles Puyol is his agent. Pep Guardiola clearly realises Garcia's potential as he was handed a full debut in the EFL Cup quarter-final against Leicester and then played in both legs of the semi-final with Burton Albion.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis - centre-half with a knack for scoring goals as he proved by netting against Clevedon, Nottingham Forest and Derby in City's first three matches in this season's Youth Cup. An England under-17 international, Harwood-Bellis is likely to be selected for next month's European Championship at that age group in the Republic of Ireland.
Jeremie Frimpong - capable of playing at left-back or right-back, Dutch-born Frimpong burst into the youth side last year and has stayed ever since. Has played in all five games en route to the final, scoring in the 2-1 win at Derby. Fulfils both his defensive and attacking duties ably and you can expect him to push forward on the overlap.
Rowan McDonald - combative defensive midfielder from Oldham who can also slot in at the back. Has played four different position during City's run to the final. Describes himself as a huge Oasis fan who would choose 'Wonderwall' as his initiation song and would invite the Gallagher brothers to dinner along with Guardiola, Sergio Aguero and Andres Iniesta.
Tommy Doyle - the grandson of two City legends: Mike Doyle, who made 570 appearances and scored 41 goals for the club between 1964 and 1978, and Glyn Pardoe, who made over 375 appearances for City between 1962 and 1976. So it was only natural he started watching City play aged five and joined their academy around the same time. Doyle has fought his way back to fitness and form after breaking his metatarsal while playing for England during last summer's Under-17 European Championship. An impressive season has included two goals in City's Youth Cup run.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru - most at home in central midfield but has been known to slot in at right-back. Fisayo is the younger brother of fellow City academy player Tom, who also plays in midfield. He joined the academy ranks at the age of eight and scored in the quarter-final win at Bournemouth.
Ben Knight - nephew of former England cricketer Nick Knight. Can play in a number of midfield and attacking position but prefers to adopt the No 10 role in the same vein as David Silva. A relative newcomer to the City set-up after they paid Ipswich £700,000 to sign him last summer, stealing in ahead of Tottenham despite Mauricio Pochettino making a personal intervention. Has enjoyed a good maiden Youth Cup campaign for the club, scoring three times.
Adrian Bernabe - another talent City have managed to poach from Barcelona's La Masia academy. The 17-year-old playmaker made the move last year and actually spent pre-season training with Guardiola's first team squad, playing in the tour match against Bayern Munich. Brought on as a late substitute in City's EFL Cup game at Oxford for his senior debut.
D'Margio Wright-Phillips - if that name seems familiar then, yes, D'Margio is the son of Shaun Wright-Phillips and the grandson of Arsenal legend Ian Wright. He clearly inherited the family speed genes as he was the Manchester schools track cycling champion at school and unsurprisingly plays as a winger. The England youth international has trained with City's first team on a number of occasions.
Felix Nmecha - another to have made his first-team debut in the EFL Cup this season, coming on during the second leg of the semi-final with Burton. Felix is the younger brother of fellow City academy graduate Lukas. Born in Hamburg, he has represented both Germany and England at youth international level. Already has some success this season, having scored the winner against Middlesbrough in the Under-18 Premier League Cup final in March.
Nabil Touaizi - the Spanish wonderkid broke all kind of scoring records in Valencia's academy before City signed him for a fee of €300,000 in 2017 that will rise to €2million if he cracks the first team. The tall forward scored twice in City's fourth round win over Nottingham Forest.
Henri Ogunby - likely to supply City's goal threat off the bench in the final. The Bolton-born Ogunby signed his first professional contract with the club last year having scored regularly in the youth ranks.
LIVERPOOL
Vitezslav Jaros - Liverpool signed the Czech keeper from Slavia Prague back in August 2017 and he has impressed with his solid performances for the youth side this season. Missed the semi-final victory over Watford because of an ankle injury but is expected to return to the side for the final.
Neco Williams - the right-back has been involved with Liverpool's under-23 side regularly this season but stepped back down to youth level for the last two matches of this run. He was an attacking midfielder when younger but academy coaches converted him to a right-back. Comes from a family of Manchester United supporters and had to make the tough choice between United and Liverpool when a schoolboy. Steven Gerrard, then Liverpool's youth coach, described Welshman Williams as 'magnificent' when he signed his first professional deal.
Yasser Larouci - qualifies to play for Algeria, the country of his birth, and France, where Liverpool signed him from the academy at Le Havre. His athleticism makes him an ideal left-back but Larouci was a winger in his earlier career. Has played in all but one of Liverpool's games en route to the final.
Rhys Williams - the commanding centre-half, who hails from Preston, actually lost his voice having shouted so much during the 2-1 semi-final win over Watford. As he continues his development, Liverpool's academy staff often send him 12 minute videos of Virgil van Dijk in action to study. The England under-18 international is actually a little bit taller than the Dutchman though.
Morgan Boyes - left-sided centre-half or left-back who enjoys pushing forward to support the attack. Chester-born Boyes, in the club's academy since under-11 level, has played in four of the five matches en route to the final.
Ki-Jana Hoever - the 17-year-old Dutchman created a stir when he came on for the injured Dejan Lovren during Liverpool's FA Cup third round tie at Wolves back in January. Jurgen Klopp had promoted him into first-team training the previous month and he duly became Liverpool's third youngest debutant in any competition. The Reds saw off competition from the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea to sign Hoever from Ajax's renowned academy in 2018, with the Dutch club understandably disappointed to lose such a talent.
Leighton Clarkson - a creative midfielder with a fine passing range, Clarkson has impressed with four goals and six assists in the Under-18 Premier League this season, where Liverpool are in the title chase. Having joined the club's academy at under-7 level, with Liverpool beating Man United, Everton and Blackburn to sign him, Clarkson admitted it was a 'dream come true' to play at Anfield for the first time in the semi-final. Expect Clarkson to pull the strings creatively.
Abdi Sharif - the versatile midfielder has played all but five minutes of Liverpool's Youth Cup campaign either on the left or the right side. Born in Somalia but raised in Toxteth, Liverpool, Sharif grew up playing football alongside his nine older brothers and idolising Steven Gerrard. It's little wonder Sharif models his game on the Liverpool icon and his former coach in the academy.
Jake Cain - another player who can slot in right across the midfield, though Cain's strongest position is as a creative attacking midfielder. That certainly shows in the 11 assists he has produced for the youth team this campaign. Hailing from Wigan, he is another who has patiently worked his way through the academy ranks from the age of nine.
Elijah Dixon-Bonner - another creative force in the Liverpool midfield, Dixon-Bonner joined from Arsenal's academy at the age of 15. The England youth international looks comfortable on either the left or the right of midfield and has started four of Liverpool's five Youth Cup games so far.
Paul Glatzel - the forward is enjoying an absolutely superb season having scored 21 goals across all competitions, including eight in five matches during Liverpool's Youth Cup run. This included a hat-trick against Accrington and both goals in the semi-final with Watford. Glatzel, who can represent either Germany or England internationally through his parents, captains the side and certainly leads from the front when it comes to goals.
Luis Longstaff - a tricky winger who started his career at Newcastle United before moving to Liverpool in 2015. Made a memorable breakthrough into the under-18 side by scoring against Manchester United during the 2016-17 season. Has been compared to Arsenal star Mesut Ozil in some quarters due to his ability to glide through defences.
Bobby Duncan - it's been well documented that Duncan is the cousin of Steven Gerrard but the youngster, who faces his former club in this final, is determined that won't be the only thing he's remembered for. Born in Whiston, Merseyside, Duncan returned 'home' to Liverpool at the start of the season. He'd found progress slow at City but has excelled this season with 31 goals across the under-18, under-19 and under-23 competitions.
