Manchester City's U-17 team impressed the following day, thrashing Middlesbrough's U-18 side with a commanding 4–0 victory. Aaron Lennon bagged a brace, Owen Hargreaves added a header, and Michael Carrick sealed the win with a composed penalty—leaving Richard thoroughly satisfied with the result.
That weekend, Manchester City were set to travel to Monaco for the UEFA Super Cup. The competition had been revamped into a single-match showdown, scheduled right before the start of the new European season. The fixture served as both a continuation and a conclusion to the continental battles of the previous campaign.
To accommodate the Super Cup, City opted to play their third-round league fixture in midweek—unlike their opponents, Chelsea, who postponed theirs to December. After all, Chelsea faced Manchester United midweek before meeting City, a grueling schedule that could easily take its toll.
