Our under-21s bounced back from last Monday’s defeat in convincing style with a 3-0 win over Reading at Meadow Park on Sunday.
Ali made two changes from the Nottingham Forest game, inserting Zane Monlouis and James Sweet in place of Taylor Foran and Jimi Gower.
We started brighter and created the game’s first chance when Lino Sousa tested the palms of Harvey Collins in the Reading goal.
Moments later a scramble inside the six-yard box saw the ball land kindly to Khayon Edwards but he rattled his effort off the crossbar.
It was one-way traffic and Amario Cozier-Duberry pulled out a brilliant piece of skill to beat his marker and drive into the box but his strike was once again well saved by Collins.
We finally broke the deadlock on the stroke of half time through Ethan Nwaneri - Myles Lewis Skelly played an incredible lofted pass over the Reading defence and Nwaneri delightfully lobbed the keeper as he came rushing out to give us a deserved lead.
After the break, we almost doubled our lead but Sagoe Jr was very unlucky to see his shot rattle off the bar.
Shortly after, Sagoe Jr was involved again - this time combining with Edwards but the latter’s shot was well saved and pushed out for a corner.
Edwards finally got himself on the scoresheet when he found space within the six-yard box during a goalmouth scramble to bundle his effort home and double our advantage.
The visitors, who were unbeaten going into this game, offered very little threat but Ovie Ejeheri had to produce a couple of impressive stops to prevent the Royals from finding a way back.
Sagoe Jr put the icing on a perfect performance cake as he got his deserved goal by firing home the rebound when Foran’s header bounced back off the bar.
WHAT IT MEANS
The win sees us climb to third place with 9 points from four games.
WHAT’S NEXT
We're off for a couple of weeks and return to league action on the road as we face Manchester United on Saturday, September 23.
Kick-off at Trafford Training Centre is at 7pm.
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal XI: Ejeheri, Sweet (Foran, 71), Walters, Monlouis, Sousa, Ibrahim, Lewis-Skelly (Gower, 71), Nwaneri (Oulad M'Hand, 89), Cozier-Duberry (Flores, 89), Sagoe Jr, Edwards
Subs not used: Hillson
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