By Lloyd Webb
Arsenal may be down, but they are certainly not out of the FA Youth Cup.
The Gunners host Manchester City on Monday evening in the second leg of their semi-final clash, and are looking to overturn a 2-1 scoreline from the first match.
Steve Gatting’s side may have an uphill task ahead of them in the second leg, but striker Kaylen Hinds says his track record at Emirates Stadium means that optimism is rife.
"It is a good luck thing for me as well. Even when I was playing with the under-15s, I never lost there. I think with Manchester City, it could be a good thing for us. As I have played there about five times, and not been beaten.
“I have scored at Emirates Stadium three times, too. We have to score first on the night, that is all it is. It would be a big thing for my career if we won the FA Youth Cup, and it would be my first major trophy since I joined.
“It is my last year in the FA Youth Cup and I would like to win something. Plus you look at the guys who played the last time Arsenal won it [in 2009], such as Jack Wilshere and Francis Coquelin. Hopefully I can do the same thing as them, and it would be good for my career if we could do the same."
Manchester City’s quality will be fresh in the under-18s' minds, and Hinds says the Gunners know exactly what to expect on Monday night.
“We learnt from our mistakes last time, and know what to do differently in this tie,” he said. “Their wingers are their main threat, and they have a good No 10.
“It is nothing we can’t handle, but we have to be better than that next time. We are Arsenal, and we can do that.”
Follow @Arsenal on Twitter from 7.40pm (UK time) on Monday for live updates from the game at Emirates Stadium.
Hinds
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