"Well done, Chido," shouted Adam Lawrence following Chido Obi-Martin's equaliser against Chelsea in the FA Youth Cup fifth round. Obi-Martin latched onto a ball forward by Jaydan Kamason and the young forward made the finish look straightforward - but it wasn't as simple as it looked.

The best goalscorers make finding the back of the net look easy and Obi-Martin has enjoyed an exceptional first few months at United, so it was no surprise to see him equalise in style.

Under-18 boss Lawrence showed his appreciation for Obi-Martin, who did brilliantly to make the most of Kamason's pass, and head of the academy Nick Cox smiled in the stands.

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It's understood Cox and head of academy recruitment Luke Fedorenko were responsible for the deal to sign Obi-Martin from Arsenal in the summer, and Cox will take particular pride from his performances.

Alejandro Garnacho was brought to Manchester by Cox and the academy chief might have signed another future first-team star. Garnacho was the talisman for the Under-18 side that won the Youth Cup in 2022 and Obi-Martin has the quality to fire United to another triumph in the competition.

Ruben Amorim was asked about Obi-Martin at his press conference last week, which highlights the interest in the youngster, and he could be knocking on the first-team's door this season.

Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have scored just 12 goals between them in all competitions, while Obi-Martin's equalising goal against Chelsea moved him to double digits for the campaign.

Obi-Martin is obviously competing in academy fixtures but he is becoming increasingly hard to ignore. His move to United was described as a "significant coup" in the summer, and Cox will feel he has lured another young talent who has a strong chance of playing first-team football to the club.

United have won the FA Youth Cup more times (11) than any other side, but Chelsea have won the competition nine times and were expected to provide a stern test at Leigh Sports Village.

The London club drew first blood under the floodlights in the 20th minute, but it didn't take long for United to respond through Obi-Martin. The momentum shifted to those in red shirts and United began to demonstrate why they must be favourites to win another Youth Cup.

United only conceded due to Gabriele Biancheri slipping and losing the ball, and an impressive U18 team that included Harry Amass and Jack Fletcher began to take control of the game.

However, it was James Scanlon who fired United into the lead. The 18-year-old has already been capped by Gibraltar's international team and he headed home, although the goal was all about the tremendous work from Kamason, who played a wonderfully weighted cross into the box.

Kamason assisted United's first two goals. Defenders sometimes don't get the credit they deserve in coverage of the academy but Kamason played a key role in turning the tie around.

United never looked in danger after going ahead. Scanlon made it 3-1 before half-time and Lawrence warmly embraced his assistant. United were good value for their two-goal lead at the interval, and it didn't take long for Obi-Martin to score in the second half with a simple finish.

It felt inevitable that Obi-Martin would net his hat-trick and he made it 5-1 just after the hour mark. He celebrated in front of the photographer and knows where the camera is.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for United will be keeping Obi-Martin grounded. He's become the star attraction in academy fixtures and his Instagram followers have rocketed since his move to United.

Lawrence has a supremely talented U18 side at his disposal and has quality in every position on the pitch, which means United will be hopeful of going all the way in the Youth Cup this term. They will face Arsenal in the quarter-finals at the Emirates and Obi-Martin will return to his former club.

Obi-Martin was replaced by Shea Lacey with 10 minutes to play and Lawrence embraced his goalscorer, who looked a tad disappointed to leave the pitch, despite scoring a hat-trick.

The Class of '22 had Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo. The Class of '25 has Obi-Martin.