Arsenal U18s Begin 2026-27 Season With Back-To-Back Clean Sheets After Maalik Hashi Strikes Early
Arsenal’s under-18 side have made an impressive start to their 2026-27 Under-18 Premier League South campaign, winning and drawing their opening two matches.
The Young Gunners secured their first victory of the season on Saturday, defeating Southampton 1-0 thanks to a well-taken early goal from Maalik Hashi.
Arsenal had opened their league campaign with a goalless draw away to West Brom, a result that required a strong performance from goalkeeper Jack Talbot, who made a series of important saves.
That point away from home set a solid foundation, and Saturday’s win against Southampton built upon it, leaving the side unbeaten and yet to concede a goal in two outings.
Hashi broke the deadlock inside the opening 15 minutes, finishing neatly off the post to give Arsenal the lead they would ultimately hold for the remainder of the contest.
The match was also notable for being the first under interim head coach Josh Smith, who was quietly placed in charge of the U18 side after stepping up from his previous role as assistant coach.
Smith spoke positively about the way his side began the game, highlighting the intensity and structure Arsenal showed in the opening stages against Southampton.
“I thought it was a very positive start to the game,” Smith said. “We’ve been speaking to the boys about how they start and today we had seven corners in the first 10 minutes, so in terms of how we started the game, it was very pleasing.”
Smith was also encouraged by the quality of Arsenal’s build-up play in the first half, and singled out Hashi for particular praise after pushing him to be more direct in front of goal.
“In the first half, the build-up, finding the free player, using the third man and the entries into the final third were probably the best that we’ve seen,” he said. “We’re trying to encourage Mal [Maalik Hashi] to shoot from distance and have our midfielders arrive late into the box to score, so really pleased for Mal today.”
Smith acknowledged that the second half was less controlled, with Arsenal failing to convert chances that could have made the scoreline more comfortable for them.
“Second half, I thought it was a game where, if we take our chances, it could be two, three or four,” he said. “I think the decision-making in the second half, sort of in and around the box, not taking those chances, gave Southampton a little bit of hope.”
Despite those second-half concerns, Smith was satisfied with how his players responded defensively and maintained their composure to see out a clean sheet.
“But in terms of how the lads reacted and how we had to defend, we’re pleased,” he added, rounding off his assessment of a positive afternoon for the young Arsenal side.
The result gives Smith a winning start to his interim tenure and leaves the club’s under-18 squad with four points from their first two fixtures of the new season.
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