"Chido," the Manchester United Under-18s coach Adam Lawrence yelled, before offering applause. Chido Obi-Martin never looked like missing his 26th-minute equaliser.
Obi-Martin nonchalantly jogged back into his own half, eager to restart the game. United ought to have led but Jack Fletcher and James Scanlon did not connect cleanly with the ball. Obi-Martin did. Within 18 minutes, they went from 1-0 down to 3-1 up.
Lawrence yelled "well done" to Obi-Martin as early as the third minute and there was another in the 28th. Then a third in the 54th minute. Those two words sufficed for Sir Alex Ferguson if ever one of his players had performed.
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The only time Obi-Martin erred was when he failed to round the 'keeper and momentarily felt sorry for himself. Lawrence soon jolted him. Obi-Martin completed his hat-trick in the 65th minute.
The teamsheet read 'Chido Obi', a name-change possibly foreshadowing Obi-Martin's national team allegiance. He was born in Denmark but is seemingly destined to represent Nigeria.
Obi-Martin now has seven goals in three FA Youth Cup games. That is as many as Alejandro Garnacho tallied during the triumphant Youth Cup run in 2022 in half as many games. The last time United beat Chelsea in the competition at Leigh Sports Village in 2018, a 17-year-old Mason Greenwood hit a hat-trick.
Chelsea had monopolised the Youth Cup back then and were beaten for the first time in five years. United's under-18 age group is arguably the best in the country, with Arsenal's deprived of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly. United head to Arsenal in the quarter-finals.
It was a travesty that Old Trafford did not host this tie between the Youth Cup's two most successful clubs. Cost-cutting measures have been cited but not confirmed. A miniscule crowd of 738 assembled and the handful present may wear this match as a badge of honour if Obi-Martin makes the step up.
The inevitability about Obi-Martin homing in on goal is in stark contrast to the two number nines in the United first team squad. Rasmus Hojlund has not lived up to his squad number change and his number might be up this year.
"He’s doing his job," Ruben Amorim said when asked about Obi-Martin last week. "He’s improving, he’s playing in the youth teams, and also we have other players who can play that position.
"Rasmus and Josh are there. We bought these two players, we need to improve them, and sometimes the confidence can change a player. We will see in the end of the season.
"But until then we have two strikers who can score goals, they’ve proved in the past, so let’s see if we can improve as a team to help them to score goals."
Joshua Zirkzee made good on that with a first goal in 12 games against Leicester City. He can ill-afford another similarly lengthy drought.
Jason Wilcox and Darren Fletcher were in attendance at Leigh Sports Village. Academy football is technical director Wilcox's wheelhouse from his five-and-a-half-year stint as Manchester City's academy director. Erik ten Hag tapped into Fletcher's knowledge of United's homegrown prodigies and the first team coach remains a bridge between the youth team and first team under Amorim.
Obi-Martin only turned 17 in November but his pedigree at academy level and high-profile defection from Arsenal in the summer quickly created a buzz. United's goalscoring struggles at senior level have only fuelled the hype.
"Nothing past, Chido, nothing past," Lawrence commanded as United saw out the first half. Obi-Martin towered above Landon Emenalo, the son of the former Chelsea sporting director Michael. Fellow centre half Olutayo Subuloye attempted to literally get to grips with Obi-Martin and was clutching at thin air.
He is selfless, as well as selfish. Obi-Martin could have turned and shot at goal in the 82nd minute but cutely laid the ball off for substitute Victor Musa, who curled narrowly wide. Obi-Martin was substituted before the game restarted and was embraced by Lawrence. There was applause from teammates, staff and supporters before Obi-Martin exchanged high-fives in the dugout.
Scanlon, involved during United's pre-season tour and already a full international with Gibraltar, recovered from his fluffed finish with two finely-taken goals to put United ahead. Jaydan Kamason, the right back, was responsible for two deft assists in a swashbuckling first half. Obi-Martin rushed straight to Kamason after Scanlon's precisely-placed header gave United a 2-1 lead.
On the opposite flank was Harry Amass, now more muscular than in pre-season. Amass was bypassed in the first seconds and hit the ball into touch twice before the four-minute mark. He had a forthright exchange with fellow Londoner Lawrence and having his manager within earshot had the desired effect as he gradually improved.
Obi-Martin celebrated his contest-killing second goal by imitating Marcus Rashford's celebration. Rashford's breakthrough came in February nine years ago yet he and Greenwood have been consigned to United's past.
Obi-Martin represents the future.
