Arsenal’s youth teams experienced contrasting fortunes this week.
The U18s suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against Fulham, while the U21s displayed fighting spirit to secure a 1-1 draw against rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a thrilling late comeback.
Arsenal U18s suffer frustrating defeat
Defeat at Motspur Park.#AFCU18 | #U18PL pic.twitter.com/Ez3Q1NhKOR
— Arsenal Academy (@ArsenalAcademy) March 9, 2024
Arsenal U18s suffered a frustrating 1-0 loss to Fulham FC despite dominating possession and creating chances throughout the match. An unfortunate goal in the 29th minute proved to be the difference, with Fulham holding on despite Arsenal‘s relentless pressure, particularly in the second half.
Despite the setback, there were positive signs for Arsenal‘s young squad. Goalkeeper Jack Porter performed well on his U18s debut, and the team showed their attacking ability, if not their finishing.
The Gunners remain in contention for a strong finish in the Under-18s Premier League and will look to bounce back next week against Crystal Palace.
90th minute equaliser for Arsenal U21s v Tottenham
The points are shared in the north London derby 🤝#AFCU21 | #PL2 pic.twitter.com/4clB4tME5y
— Arsenal Academy (@ArsenalAcademy) March 8, 2024
Arsenal U21s displayed resilience and fighting spirit in their 1-1 draw against rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Despite conceding a late goal in the first half, the young Gunners refused to give up. They dominated possession in the second half, creating numerous scoring opportunities, finally equalising in the 90th minute thanks to Ethan Nwaneri‘s decisive goal.
The match showcased Arsenal‘s attacking flair as players like Amario Cozier-Duberry and Jimi Gower posed a constant threat, while Myles Lewis-Skelly‘s creativity was a driving force behind their relentless pursuit of an equaliser.
After the game, U21’s boss, Mehmet Ali, told Arsenal.com, “We were really proud of our players in there and just praised them for not stopping the bravery we played with, especially in the second half.
“I thought we really took the game to our opponents and felt we should’ve got more from the game to be honest, but in football you’re sometimes going to win, lose or draw. It was more the principles we apply and how we kept sticking to our playing style and going for our opponents. That’s what made me pleased.
“If you’re going to have careers and play for our first team and remain in this industry you’ve got to find a way of being mature and sticking to what we believe in and they did that really well.”