Nwaneri scores again as Arsenal u18s extend winning run but u21s are held
Arsenal’s academy sides experienced contrasting afternoons over the weekend, with the under-18s extending their winning run with an emphatic 5-1 victory at Norwich City, while the under-21s were held to a goalless draw by Birmingham City despite creating enough chances to win.
The under-21s travelled to the Knighthead Training and Academy Grounds on Friday and were frustrated by Birmingham goalkeeper Tyrese Warmington, who produced good saves from Andre Harriman-Annous and Josh Ogunnaike.
The stalemate was Arsenal’s third draw in four PL2 matches and leaves them with just three points.
Their next league fixture is against Sunderland at the Mangata Developments Stadium on Saturday 10 October, with kick-off at 1pm.
There was, however, considerably more cutting edge from the under-18s a day later.
Axel Donczew opened the scoring inside the opening 15 minutes against Norwich before Jaden Maghoma struck twice and Charlie Purdy added another before half-time.
Arsenal went into the interval four goals ahead after a devastating first-half display.
Maghoma’s first followed good work from Emerson Nwaneri, while his second came after Teshaun Murisa provided the set-up.
Purdy then converted from Donczew’s cut-back to complete the first-half scoring.
An OG pulled one back for Norwich after the break, but Nwaneri added Arsenal’s fifth in injury time to complete a convincing 5-1 victory.
The victory was Arsenal’s third consecutive win in the u18 Premier League South and lifted them to fifth place with 10 points from six matches.
Under-18s coach Josh Smith was particularly pleased with the way his side took command before half-time.
“Very impressed with the first half, to score so early again,” Smith said.
“We have been speaking recently in terms of: once we do score first, can we go again and get the second and the third? I think that performance has been coming. I was very impressed with the first half.
“The lads and the staff feel a little bit disappointed in terms of the second half. They feel like we could have scored a little bit more. They’re young and we’re trying to aim for consistency, but overall I’m very pleased.
“We give the lads a base structure”, he said. “A lot of the stuff that we’re starting to see is just based around simple concepts.
“Whether that’s off the right unit, the left, sometimes down the centre. We try and keep it as fluid as possible for them. So, yes, it’s been very pleasing seeing that.
“For us as staff and players, it’s about sticking to the process.
“As I said, there’s going to be ups and downs. Some weeks we’re going to win and some we’re going to lose.
“But in terms of how we’ve been training and how we’ve been behaving, that’s the most important thing for us there. Being consistent and sticking to the process.”
The under-18s face Birmingham City at home in the U18 Premier League Cup on Saturday 10 October, with kick-off at midday.