Our 2024/25 UEFA Youth League campaign began with a 4-1 defeat away to Atalanta Under-19s on Thursday afternoon.
First-half goals from Pietro Comi, Candas Bah Novo Fiogbe and Federico Steffanoni gave the Italian side a 3-0 lead before Max Dowman pulled one back in the second half.
Steffanoni added his second in the 89th minute to restore the three-goal lead.
what happened
We had an opportunity to take the lead straight away as Ismeal Kabia won the ball high up the right wing and crossed for Romari Forde, but our number nine fired over the crossbar.
An effort from Atalanta captain Lorenzo Riccio met the same fate at the other end after he pried the ball away from Theo Julienne.
Dowman then found Sebastian Ferdinand to his left and the latter shot straight at Andrea Torriani, before an end-to-end opening period culminated in the first goal for Atalanta.
Comi headed into the bottom right corner for 1-0. Ferdinand tried to respond from a dangerous area, but his strike was deflected into the goalkeeper’s gloves.
With half an hour played, the ball fell kindly for Riccio in the penalty area and his shot was blocked for an Atalanta corner. The following passage of play resulted in a cross that the aforementioned captain hooked over the bar while under pressure from Ayden Heaven.
But, just two minutes later, Heaven was dispossessed and Fiogbe made it 2-0, running through on goal and smashing the ball past Khari Ranson.
Again, we almost responded courtesy of Ferdinand, who looked to pick out the bottom right corner after Dowman had dribbled into the area, but Torriani got down to his left to make a good save and the flag was raised for offside anyway.
Kabia then crossed for Ferdinand to head wide before Atalanta showed their clinical edge at the other end, a corner coming out to Steffanoni to convert for 3-0.
Ranson pushed a long-range free-kick from Riccio behind for another corner on the brink of half-time, and on this occasion the set-piece reached Nicolo Baldo at the far post, who headed straight at our number one.
Max Porter made one substitution at half-time, replacing Ferdinand with Osman Kamara.
We came flying out of the traps, scoring in the 48th minute as Kabia crossed for Dowman to strike into the bottom right corner.
But the hosts still looked lively, Relja Obric going through on goal before being brought down by Maldini Kacurri for a free-kick on the edge of the area. Riccio aimed for the bottom right corner but Ranson showed quick reflexes to tip it past the post.
Michal Rosiak shot straight at Torriani at the other end before Kamara cut in from the left and saw his effort deflected behind for a corner. Dowman delivered and the ball was met by Kacurri, whose header was tipped over the bar.
Kacurri then threaded a great pass through to Kabia on the right, but the latter’s shot was too central to trouble Torriani.
Wilshere then made his second change, Dan Casey coming on for Forde.
Kabia had another cross cleared behind by Matt Tavanti before Rosiak’s corner came out to Kamara, who cushioned it wide as we continued to look for a way back into the game.
Fiogbe was a handful on the left wing and came close to scoring again for Atalanta as he poked the ball wide of the far post from a narrow angle with the outside of his right foot.
We were unable to come back into the game and it was Atalanta who had the last chance to celebrate when Steffanoni weaved his way to the edge of our 18-yard box and picked out the bottom right corner for 4-1.
what it means
We are 34th in the UEFA Youth League on zero points alongside the 13 other teams who lost on Thursday.
what's next
Our under-21s are back in Premier League 2 Division One action with a trip to Britannia Stadium to face Stoke City from 7pm on Monday, September 23.
In terms of the UEFA Youth League, our next game is at Mangata Pay UK Stadium against Paris Saint-Germain at 1pm on Tuesday, October 1.
LINE-UPS
Atalanta XI: Torriani, Obric, Riccio (C), Bonanomi (Mencaraglia 86), Tavanti, Baldo (Gobbo 79), Steffanoni, Bonsignori Goggi (Simonetto 57), Idele (Artesani 79), Comi, Flogbe.
Substitutes not used: Zanchi, Sala, Bilac, Michieletto, Camara.
Arsenal XI: Ranson, Julienne (Ismail 87), Kacurri, Heaven, Nichols, Rosiak (C), Dudziak, Dowman (O’Neill 79), Kasia, Forde (Casey 61), Ferdinand (Kamara 46).
Substitutes not used: Talbot, Clarke, Sweet, Ibrahim, Marciniak.
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