Pre-Match Report

U21s preview | Arsenal v Manchester United

arsenal u21

Our young Gunners are set to kick off their Premier League 2 play-off campaign against Manchester United on Friday, May 3. The match will take place at Meadow Park with a scheduled kick-off time of 7pm (UK).

Introduced at the start of the 2023/24 campaign, this year marks the debut of the new play-off style format to conclude the season. The top 16 teams in the league will engage in single-elimination games to determine the ultimate victor - find out more.

As we clinched fifth place in the regular season, we've been paired against 12th-placed Manchester United in the opening round. Should we emerge victorious, the quarter-finals await us, where we'll potentially face off against Chelsea or Brighton & Hove Albion.

A look at United

Manchester United concluded the season in 12th place, tallying 29 points from 20 games. Their final regular season game showcased an impressive display as they triumphed 6-3 over Southampton on the road, despite conceding an early goal in the first minute.

Shola Shoretire has been a standout performer for Manchester United in the Premier League 2, amassing seven goals and four assists in nine games. However, he has not featured in a league game since January. Additionally, Ethan Williams has also made significant contributions, netting six goals and providing two assists in 14 league appearances. Williams particularly stood out in their recent 6-3 victory against Southampton, where he scored twice.

In our previous encounter earlier this season, we secured a 4-2 victory over Manchester United. Lino Sousa was instrumental in our win, netting a brace, while Khayon Edwards and Jack Henry-Francis also found the back of the net.


 

How to follow

You can attend the game in person, and entry is free at Meadow Park for all our Premier League 2 fixtures.

However, if you cannot attend, we will provide updates throughout the game on our academy Twitter page, and there will be a match report published on Arsenal.com after the final whistle.

We will also share post-match interviews with Mehmet Ali and one of his young Gunners, as well as highlights of all the action.