Arsenal under-18s head coach, Jack Wilshere, expressed his delight with his team's outstanding performance in their commanding 9-0 victory over Norwich City on Saturday afternoon.
The match was highlighted by a remarkable seven-goal haul from Chido Martin Obi, complemented by late strikes from Andre Annous and Dan Casey, sealing off a flawless away performance for the young Gunners.
Jack expressed his satisfaction, stating, "I am delighted with the performance and the energy and attitude of the players. I thought we were ruthless and relentless in every action."
He continued, emphasising the team's proactive approach, "When we lost the ball, we never gave them time and won it straight back. We got our passing sequences going and were finding the free man while making good decisions."
In the last seven games alone, our under-18 side has netted 41 goals. Leading the charge is top scorer Martin Obi, who has been nothing short of exceptional with an incredible tally of 28 goals this season. Reflecting on Obi's remarkable form, Jack noted, "Of course, it helps when you have a goalscorer like Chido who is on fire at the moment, and everything he touches seems to go in."
Acknowledging Obi's dedication and hard work, Jack added, "He's worked so hard over the last couple of years, especially since we've had him at Sobha Realty Training Centre over the last six weeks, and he's getting his rewards for that hard work. But, we've also got to give massive credit to the team for supplying him."
Our pressing game has been a standout feature in our recent performances, particularly in the last seven games where we've secured six wins. Jack has been particularly impressed with the progress we're making in this aspect of our play each week.
He emphasised, "A huge credit once again must go to my assistant Adam Birchall because he's the guy who focuses on the press. Yes, we do it together, but he's the guy who really drives it and coaches it."
Jack highlighted the importance of our pressing game in creating energy and hunger within the team, stating, "Whenever we get that right, it creates that energy and that hunger to win the ball back. We have good players, so we want to be able to keep the ball, and when we lose it, we get it back quickly - that has to be our attitude."
Drawing inspiration from the men's first team, Jack expressed his aspiration for our team to emulate their pressing style, noting, "You see the way our men's first team do it, and in my opinion, they're the best in the Premier League at it. We're getting our rewards, and hopefully, we can continue it."
As we approach our penultimate league game of the season, anticipation is high for the upcoming North London derby against Tottenham. Jack is urging his players to embrace the magnitude of the occasion and rise to the challenge.
He emphasised, "It's a big one. When you play for this club, when you support this club and are part of it, it's always the biggest game of the season. We have to find that balance of understanding that but also focusing on performance, and we'll be ready. We need to win our duels and earn our right to win the derby."
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