Chelsea and City have been drawn against each other four times in Youth Cup history, all in the last 12 years and all in the final. The Blues have come out on top on three of those occasions and there have been more than a few familiar names involved along the way.

Between 2015 and 2017, the two sides contested three consecutive finals. In 2014/15 with Joe Edwards in charge, we triumphed 5-2 on aggregate as Tammy Abraham and Dominic Solanke were among the goals in a dominant two-legged display. Four of the starting 11 have since progressed to win senior international caps, three of those with England, and it kick-started a period of dominance over our rivals from Manchester.

The following season, it was Mason Mount's turn to shine on the big stage as the midfielder got our only goal of the first leg in a 1-1 draw away from home. Back at the Bridge five days later, in the midst of a torrential thunderstorm, Abraham was back on the scoresheet alongside Fikayo Tomori, who claimed three goals in total during that winning campaign.

City introduced Jadon Sancho off the bench in both legs but the future England international was unable to turn around their fortunes and it was another Chelsea triumph, this time 4-2 on aggregate.

Our most recent meeting was in 2016/17 when, unbelievably, the two heavyweights of youth football in England avoided each other again right until the final. Jody Morris was now in the dugout as manager and had orchestrated a remarkable 9-2 aggregate win over Tottenham in the semi-finals before preparing to face familiar foes once again.

Sancho started both legs that year, as did fellow future England internationals Reece James, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Phil Foden and Mount. The calibre of talent on show was top-class but it was the team performance from the holders that came out trumps as we celebrated another success with a blistering 5-1 second-leg win at the Bridge.

City's only triumph came in their first Youth Cup final for over 45 years back in 2008. Paul Clement was in charge of the Blues, who had the likes of Jeffrey Bruma, Patrick van Aanholt, Miroslav Stoch and Gael Kakuta among their ranks but fell to a 4-2 defeat on aggregate.

Kieran Tripper, Ben Mee and Daniel Sturridge featured for the boys from Eastlands, the latter pair among the goals, as they got their hands on the trophy for the first time since 1986.

Beaten in four of the past finals, motivation will be high in the City camp but Chelsea's chance to make history also looms large. Only Manchester United, who we beat in the semi-final on Friday night, have more Youth Cup titles than the young Blues and we can match their 10-trophy haul by defeating their rivals from across town in this latest, delayed finale.

It also represents an opportunity to continue what has been a period of dominance for the Academy in the 68-year-old competition; victory would be our eighth in the past 11 years.

Ed Brand's side take on City at St George's Park on Monday night, kick-off 7.30pm, and you can watch it live on BT Sport.