Our under-21s were beaten 2-1 away to Wolverhampton Wanderers in Premier League 2 Division One on Friday night.
Ethan Nwaneri scored our equaliser, but Ty Barnett’s brace was enough to secure three points for the home side.
It took just under 20 minutes for us to have the first chance of the game as Nwaneri played the ball into the path of Amario Cozier-Duberry, whose low curling effort was blocked.
But it was the hosts who went ahead in the 29th minute as we cleared the ball only as far as Barnett, who smashed it into the bottom left corner.
We responded almost straight away though, Nwaneri equalising four minutes later after a dangerous cross from Ismeal Kabia. Wolves failed to clear it and the ball bounced off the bar to Cozier-Duberry, whose shot was parried into the path of Nwaneri to calmly slot in.
Nine minutes into the second half Wolves took the lead again, Barnett netting his brace after the ball was squared across goal to him.
Cozier-Duberry produced a great bit of skill with just under half an hour remaining before driving the ball into Nwaneri, who tried to create an angle for the shot but Jimmy Storer did well to stop the chance.
At the other end, Leon Chiwome hit the crossbar from ten yards out as Wolves hunted for a third.
We came agonisingly close to a late equaliser when, in the second minute of the seven added on at the end of the second half, Taylor Foran rose highest in the penalty area only to see his strong header denied by Storer.
What it means
We stay fourth in Premier League 2 with 23 points from 11 games, one point behind third-placed Fulham.
What's next
We're back at Meadow Park on Friday, February 9 for the visit of Leeds United in Premier League 2.
Team news
Wolves XI: Storer, Kaleta, Keto-Diyawa, Griffiths (Kandola 66), Lonwijk (Tipton 45), Pond (C), Birtwistle, Whittingham, Chiwome, Barnett (Esen 84), Farmer.
Substitutions not used: Mabete, Benjamin.
Arsenal XI: Hein, Sweet (Foran 73), Walters, Monlouis (C) (Dudziak 88), Sousa (Nichols 60), Henry-Francis, Nwaneri, Oulad M'Hand, Cozier-Duberry, Edwards, Kabia (Gower 73).
Substitutions not used: Graczyk.
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