WHAT HAPPENED
We booked our place in the FA Youth Cup semi-finals after a dramatic 3-2 win over Cambridge United.
Cheered on by the Emirates faithful, our young Gunners started brightly with Seb Ferdinand causing problems down the left but we failed to trouble Tom Finch in the Cambridge goal.
Our positive play was rewarded shortly after when Myles Lewis-Skelly’s dazzling run ended with Ethan Nwaneri firing in a vicious strike from the edge of the box via a neat lay-off from Omari Benjamin.
We almost doubled our lead moments later but Benjamin’s header brushed the side netting from Lino Sousa’s pinpoint cross.
The visitors equalised against the run of play midway through the first half when Josh Robinson’s inadvertent header found its way into the back of our net and we went into the break on level terms.
We started the second half on the back foot with the visitors going close on two occasions before eventually taking the lead when Kai Yearn snuck his effort through Noah Cooper’s near post.
But we responded almost immediately from the penalty spot when Sousa was brought down - Amario Cozier-Duberry placed his penalty in the corner with conviction.
The game became a real end-to-end battle for the last 15 minutes as both sides pushed for a late winner.
In the second minute of five added on, up stepped Michal Rosiak, buoyed from a goal and assist from last weekend’s win over Chelsea, the defender calmly slotted his effort at the back post after a delightful pick out from Sousa to send us into the last four.
WHAT IT MEANS
We are through to the semi finals of the FA Youth Cup for the first time since the 2017/18 season.
We will find out our semi-final opponents in due course.
WHAT'S NEXT
We're back in action on Tuesday, February 28, when we host Crystal Palace in the Under-18 Premier League.
Kick-off at London Colney is at 12pm (UK).
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal XI: Cooper, Rosiak, Robinson, Walters, Sousa, Lewis-Skelly, Ibrahim, Nwaneri (Kacurri, 90), Ferdinand (Kamara, 62), Cozier-Duberry, Benjamin (Gower, 80)
Subs not used: Rojas, Nichols, Quamina, Oulad M’Hand
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