We completed our UEFA Youth League campaign with a well-deserved win away to PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday.
Amario Cozier-Duberry scored a brace, including a delightful second, and Josh Nichols added a third to ensure we at least finished the group on a winning note.
Mehmet Ali’s under-19 team went into the game knowing that whatever happened at the PSV training centre, our run in Europe would not be extending into the new year, after taking just one point from our first five games. But we could still spoil the party for our hosts, who needed a win to progress to the knockout stages.
And after being on the back foot for the first five minutes, we took the lead with our first attack of the game. Myles Lewis-Skelly sprung the offside trap with an early pass from midfield to the advancing Charles Sagoe Jr on the left wing. He strode into the area before sliding the ball across the six-yard box for Cozier-Duberry to tap home.
It was only the fourth goal we had scored in the competition this year, and the first for our flying winger.
We took a lot of confidence from the early strike, and continued to force the early running. Ismail Oulad M’hand drew a save from Roy Steur after more good work on the right from Cozier-Duberry, and then against the run of play PSV had a good chance when play opened up for Julian Kwaaitaal on the left, but he dragged his shot wide of the post.
They did equalise shortly afterwards though. A long throw from the keeper caught our defence out, and Jesper Uneken rifled home after the initial effort from Kwaaitaal thundered against the crossbar.
The momentum switched with the goal. Tygo Land came close to putting the Dutch side ahead but stabbed wide from close range before Kwaaitaal missed the target after getting behind the defence. Then Alexei Rojas-Fedorushchenko made a fine full stretch save low down to deny Wessel Kuhn.
At the end of the first half Cozier-Duberry and Lewis-Skelly combined superbly in the box, the latter’s backheel finding the winger, but his first-time shot screwed well wide.
Sagoe Jr, wearing the captain’s armband, had our first attempt of the second half, but drove into the side netting when squared up by his defender, and midway through the second half Omari Benjamin poked wide under pressure from the defender as he was bearing down on the keeper, set up by an excellent Oulad-M’hand pass.
But then we did retake the lead, through a moment of magic from Cozier-Duberry. Picking the ball up on the right, he ran at the PSV defence before curling a sumptuous 20-yard effort into the far top corner. It was a sensational strike from the 18-year-old.
The hosts were beginning to look rattled, increasing the physical approach, but we kept our heads and added a third. Once again Sagoe Jr was the provider, he rolled the ball back for full-back Nichols to pick out the bottom corner with a precise finish.
Cozier-Duberry came close to completing what would have been a memorable hat-trick, outsmarting and then outpacing his marker from the halfway line, before seeing his shot just turned wide. It would have been the icing on the cake of a fine individual performance.
In the last minute Rojas-Fedorushchenko made an excellent save to stop Uneken grabbing his second at point-blank range, and Ali’s young charges ensured they exited European competition with a fight, and more valuable experience under their belts.
Team: Rojas-Fedorushchenko, Rosiak, Kacurri, Robinson, Nichols, Ibrahim, Lewis-Skelly, Oulad M’hand (Kabia 78), Sagoe Jr, Benjamin (Copley 90), Cozier-Duberry.
Subs not used: Cooper, Brown, Kamara, Small.
Goals: Arsenal - Cozier-Duberry 5, 68, Nichols 80. PSV - Uneken 32
Yellow card: Ibrahim 13, Lewis-Skelly 76
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