Our under-18s secured a crucial three points with an impressive 4-0 victory over Southampton at London Colney last Saturday.
From the opening whistle, Jack Wilshere's squad asserted their dominance. Our first opportunity came when Cam'ron Ismail exhibited creative play down the left wing, but his shot was parried away by Dylan Mooy in the Southampton net, resulting in a corner.
During the ensuing corner, Ayden Heaven connected with Michal Rosiak's impeccable delivery, but Mooy once again proved equal to the task.
Despite our control of the game, Southampton managed to test Noah Cooper, with the young goalkeeper denying Will Merry's left-footed strike.
Our breakthrough arrived courtesy of Chido Obi. Rosiak orchestrated a splendid through ball, and Obi calmly slotted his shot through the keeper's legs. This marked the Danish International's first goal for the under-18s and gave us a well-deserved lead.
Following halftime, Cooper was called into action once more, denying Merry for a second time from close range.
However, we regained control of the match and extended our lead. Louis Zecevic-John showcased tremendous commitment in pressing the Southampton goalkeeper, executing a well-timed slide tackle to divert the ball into the back of the net.
Southampton struggled throughout the game to cope with our pressing tactics, and Zecevic-John's goal highlighted the meticulous preparation that Wilshere had instilled in his team throughout the week.
Subsequent changes saw the introduction of Reece Clairmont, Will Sweet, and the debut of 13-year-old midfielder Max Dowman for the U18s—a remarkable achievement for the young talent.
We sealed our emphatic victory with two late goals, both courtesy of Chido Obi. His second came as Ayden Heaven provided the assist, with Obi's shot taking a deflection before finding the back of the net. Obi completed a memorable hat-trick with a powerful shot from the right side of the box, accurately finding the bottom corner. It was a flawless performance by our striker.
WHAT IT MEANS
The win sees us rise to sixth with eight points after five league games.
WHAT’S NEXT
It’s a London derby for our young Gunners as we head to Chelsea on Saturday, September 30.
Kick-off at Cobham is at 11am.
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal XI: Cooper, Nichols, Kacurri, Heaven, Brown (Clairmont, 74), Rosiak, Julienne (Sweet, 79), Oyetunde, Zecevic-John (Dowman, 67), Ismail, Obi
Subs not used: Rojas
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