Our under-21s came from behind to draw 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur in Premier League 2 Division One on Friday night, Jude Soonsup-Bell scoring the opening goal of the game late in the first half, before Ethan Nwaneri netted a 90th minute equaliser.
Our north London rivals looked most likely to open the scoring in the game’s first 20 minutes, but we managed to contain the pressure.
Ovie Ejeheri got a hand to the ball as Will Lankshear attempted to lift it over him almost right after kick-off, before James Sweet was on hand to make a great sliding tackle to clear the danger from a Jamie Donley cross.
The Spurs number 10 then tried his luck from distance, seeing the ball fly high over the crossbar. It was his free-kick moments later that Ejeheri got both hands to at his near post, before Josh Nichols did really well to clear a Lankshear cross and then show quick reflexes to head away the rebound.
After Lankshear nodded the resulting set-piece into the side netting, George Abbott had a shot deflected onto the crossbar.
The game still goalless, we began a period of more positive attacking movements, firstly courtesy of a brilliant through ball from Nichols to Amario Cozier-Duberry. The latter tucked the ball into the back of net but was judged to have timed his run too late and the flag went up for offside.
Receiving the ball from Jack Henry-Francis, Cozier-Duberry then turned nicely before timing a pass well through to Jimi Gower, who ran through on goal and saw his left-footed effort go straight at Luca Gunter.
The Spurs goalkeeper wasn’t troubled by our next effort either as James Sweet cut in from the left and shot straight at him from a central position.
The offside flag was raised again as Myles Lewis-Skelly scooped the ball over the top for Ethan Nwaneri to run onto, before we were back to carrying out our defensive duties. It looked as though Lankshear would break through on goal after the ball bounced off of Reuell Walters, but he did really well to track back and get a block in.
Gower’s free-kick provided another simple save for Gunter at the other end before Spurs took the lead when Yago Alonso’s corner was headed into the bottom right corner by Soonsup-Bell.
Cozier-Duberry looked to replicate his trademark strike when he cut in from the right wing on the brink of half-time, but on this occasion his left-footed curler flew wide of the top left corner. Gunter parried away a Nwaneri cross and we went into the interval behind.
Gower volleyed the ball over the bar early in the second half from Sweet’s cross before we had shouts for a penalty when Sweet went down under pressure. Nothing was given and Alonso struck straight at Ejeheri at the other end.
Chances were few and far between until the 68th minute, when Gunter was on hound to gather a cross for Nathan Butler-Oyedeji and then deny Nwaneri. On the counter-attack, John fed Abbott but Ejeheri narrowed the angle to make the save.
We really began to pursue an equaliser with Lewis-Skelly at the centre of our chance creation. He spotted Sweet in a dangerous area, who shifted the ball onto his right foot but shot straight at Gunter.
Lewis-Skelly played a great pass through to Gower on the left but the flag went up for offside, before the latter’s cross was headed over the bar by Butler-Oyedeji.
Gunter got down to his left to make an important save after Gower worked his way into a close range shooting poison, and the Spurs goalkeeper then tipped an effort from Sweet onto the bar before getting across to his bottom left corner to save an overhead kick from Henry-Francis.
We came incredibly close to an equaliser as Butler-Oyedeji fired towards goal but Spurs cleared the danger just before the ball crossed the line.
In the 90th minute, we got the equaliser our pressure richly deserved, Ismael Kabia - on as a second-half substitute - crossing for Nwaneri, who bounced the ball over the line for 1-1.
Six minutes were added on at the end of the second half, during which Gunter made a double save to stop Nwaneri and Gower from finding a second goal.
What it means
We are now fourth in PL2, with Fulham climbing to third.
What's next
Our next game is against Blackburn Rovers at the Lancashire FA County Ground on Saturday, March 16 for a 1pm kick-off in PL2.
Team news
Arsenal XI: Ejeheri, Nichols, Walters, Heaven, Sweet (C), Lewis-Skelly (Kabia 87), Henry-Francis, Nwaneri, Cozier-Duberry, Butler-Oyedeji, Gower
Unused substitutes: Rojas, Robinson, Foran, Oulad M’Hand
Tottenham Hotspur XI: Gunter, Ashcroft, McKnight (Robson 72), Abbott (C), Cassanova, Hall, Soonsup-Bell (Kyerematen 51), John, Lankshear, Donley, Alonso.
Unused substitutes: Bloedorn, Williams, Andiyapan.
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