Arsenal got their u18 Premier League Cup campaign off to a strong start with a back-and-forth win over Liverpool on Wednesday.
Jack Wilshere’s Arsenal u18s are playing in the u18 Premier League Cup again this season, and the competition kicks off with an intense group stage.
There are four teams in each group, but only one is guaranteed to progress to the quarter-finals, so the pressure is on from the very first game. One slip-up and you might never get a chance to catch up to the team that beat you.
Arsenal have been drawn in Group G, with Liverpool, Birmingham City, and Crystal Palace, and they kicked things off against their big-six academy rivals away from home in midweek.
Andre Annous gave the Gunners a first-half lead with a close-range finish after Ceadach O’Neill’s initial effort was saved, and Wilshere’s team quickly started to run away with the game.
O’Neill was involved again as Arsenal scored their second, as he was fouled for a penalty, which Dan Casey converted for 2-0.
One minute later, Annous turned in from close range once again after O’Neill hit the bar. But Liverpool kept things interesting as Joshua Sonni-Lambie netted a penalty just before the break for 3-1.
Liverpool had a lifeline, and Louis Enahoro-Marcus made it 3-2 in the 63rd minute with a rebound header. But an excellent run from Arsenal’s Max Dowman and an impressive finish from Brando Bailey-Joseph allowed Arsenal to retake a two-goal advantage.
Once again, Liverpool rallied, and a deflected finish brought them back within one goal at 4-3 with 13 minutes left.
But Dowman made sure of the victory with another fine run and finish, set up by substitute Jayden Adetiba with five minutes left on the clock.
There was no time for another Liverpool comeback, so the game ended 5-3, with Arsenal securing all three points. The match highlights are available here.
Arsenal u18 lineup vs Liverpool
Porter, Julienne, Clarke, Sweet, Ismail, Casey, Ibrahim, O’Neill, Dowman, Bailey-Joseph, Annous
Substitutes
Shuaib (for Julienne, 70), Marciniak (for Annous, 79), Adetiba (for Bailey-Joseph, 79), Onyekachukwu (for Dowman, 86), Talbot
What’s next?
Arsenal face Birmingham City in October and Crystal Palace in November in the remainder of the u18 Premier League Cup group stage, knowing two wins will see them through.
In the meantime, the Gunners face West Bromwich Albion back in the u18 Premier League this weekend, travelling away to the Baggies on Saturday, August 31st at 12:00 BST.