U-23s: Derby v Arsenal - Preview

It’s just a matter of time until the under-23s record their first win of the season, according to goalkeeper Matt Macey.

The 21-year-old has played all three Premier League 2 games so far, but Steve Gatting's side are still waiting to get off the mark despite some encouraging displays.

“It’s been frustrating obviously, with the three defeats,” Macey told Arsenal.com. “We’ve played well in patches, it’s just a case of bringing it all together and I hope that happens on Friday against Derby.

• 'Matt's attitude is so positive'

“Throughout games we have been playing well, we’ve had the international break now so we’ve had time to go back and look at where we need to improve to bring up those final little things that’ll get us the three points.

“Once we get that first win, the pressure will be off.”

Macey has experience of first-team football after a loan spell with Accrington Stanley last year, but readily admits that he has been impressed by the standard of opposition following the young Gunners’ promotion last season.

“It’s definitely much higher quality, we can tell that from the first three games,” he said.

“But that’s better for us. A test is what we want. We don’t want to be playing teams and walking off feeling like we haven’t had to work to win the game.

“We want a test and you learn the most from losing sometimes, even though it’s not a good thing.”

Arsenal now face Derby, with the hosts also having lost all three of their matches so far this season, but Macey will not underestimate Friday’s opponents.

“We played them last season, we had two good games against them and we expect they’ll probably be very physical again,” he said.

“They’re always very up for it and they work hard, they press the ball. It’ll be a different type of game to the game against Liverpool a couple of weeks back.

“It’ll be a different test but we’ll have to match them physically for sure.”