U21s report: Manchester United 2-4 Arsenal

Our under-21s showcased a first-half attacking masterclass, securing a crucial three points with a convincing 4-2 victory over Manchester United at Carrington on Saturday.

Mehmet Ali’s side, featuring several players from the UEFA Youth League, began the match brightly and quickly took the lead. Lino Sousa, displaying exceptional skill, cut inside and unleashed a precise strike with his weaker right foot to find the back of the net.

Maintaining our dominance, we extended our lead 15 minutes later when Jack Henry-Francis’s shot from the edge of the box took a fortuitous deflection, sending the ball looping over Elyh Harrison in the United net. It was the perfect birthday gift for Henry-Francis.

Our momentum continued as Lino Sousa duplicated his earlier feat by cutting inside once more and delivering another powerful shot into the top corner. Just two minutes later, a fantastic team move culminated in Khayon Edwards tapping in, making it four goals in just 35 minutes for Ali’s side.

Just before halftime, the home side was awarded a penalty when Shola Shore tire was brought down. However, Mateo Mejia squandered the opportunity, sending his penalty over the bar.

Nonetheless, the Red Devils managed to pull one goal back as we conceded possession, and Mejia made amends for his penalty miss.

After the halftime break, United reduced the deficit further, with Omarion For son capitalizing on a well-executed team move.

The young Gunners exhibited resilience, controlling the game’s tempo to secure a valuable three points as they saw out the rest of the second half.

This win propels us up to third place in the league with a total of 12 points from our four league game.

Our next fixture takes us on the road once more as the young Gunners make their way to Merseyside for a clash against Everton on Friday, September 29.

The match will kick off at 7pm at Haig

Arsenal XI: Ejeheri, Sweet, Walters, Monlouis, Sousa, Ibrahim (Foran, 75), Henry-Francis (Azeez, 46), Gower, Cozier-Duberry, Sagoe Jr, Edwards

Subs not used: Hillson, Dudziak, Benjamin

Copyright 2023 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source

U18s report: Arsenal 4-0 Southampton
Brian Matovu
23 Sep 2023
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Our under-18s secured a crucial three points with an impressive 4-0 victory over Southampton at London Colney last Saturday.

From the opening whistle, Jack Wilshere’s squad asserted their dominance. Our first opportunity came when Cam’ron Ismail exhibited creative play down the left wing, but his shot was parried away by Dylan Mooy in the Southampton net, resulting in a corner.

During the ensuing corner, Ayden Heaven connected with Michal Rosiak’s impeccable delivery, but Mooy once again proved equal to the task.

Despite our control of the game, Southampton managed to test Noah Cooper, with the young goalkeeper denying Will Merry’s left-footed strike.

Our breakthrough arrived courtesy of Chido Obi. Rosiak orchestrated a splendid through ball, and Obi calmly slotted his shot through the keeper’s legs. This marked the Danish International’s first goal for the under-18s and gave us a well-deserved lead.

Following halftime, Cooper was called into action once more, denying Merry for a second time from close range.

However, we regained control of the match and extended our lead. Louis Zecevic-John showcased tremendous commitment in pressing the Southampton goalkeeper, executing a well-timed slide tackle to divert the ball into the back of the net.

Southampton struggled throughout the game to cope with our pressing tactics, and Zecevic-John’s goal highlighted the meticulous preparation that Wilshere had instilled in his team throughout the week.

Subsequent changes saw the introduction of Reece Clairmont, Will Sweet, and the debut of 13-year-old midfielder Max Dowman for the U18s—a remarkable achievement for the young talent.

We sealed our emphatic victory with two late goals, both courtesy of Chido Obi. His second came as Ayden Heaven provided the assist, with Obi’s shot taking a deflection before finding the back of the net. Obi completed a memorable hat-trick with a powerful shot from the right side of the box, accurately finding the bottom corner. It was a flawless performances

It’s a London derby for our young Gunners as we head to Chelsea on Saturday, September 3.

Kick-off at Cobham is at 11am

Arsenal XI: Cooper, Nichols, Kacurri, Heaven, Brown (Clairmont, 74), Rosiak, Julienne (Sweet, 79), Oyetunde, Zecevic-John (Down an, 67), Ismail, Obi

Subs not used: Rojas

Copyright 2023 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.