U21s report: Arsenal 2-3 Chelsea

Our under-21s' season came to a close with a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the Premier League 2 play-offs on Saturday afternoon.

We nearly got off to the perfect start when Ethan Nwaneri won the ball high up the pitch, but his subsequent curling effort agonisingly struck the wrong side of the post.

Nevertheless, we seized the lead shortly after when the ball fell favourably to Myles Lewis-Skelly on the edge of the box, and he unleashed a powerful strike into the bottom corner.

Amario Cozier Duberry, who was recently named April's Premier League 2 player of the month, attempted to capitalise on a poor pass from the Chelsea defender. However, he dragged his effort from the edge of the box was dragged wide of the post.

However, the visitors managed to equalise through Diego Moreira just before half-time. The ball fell kindly to him on the edge of the box, and he drilled his shot into the bottom corner, levelling the score.

After the break, Movie Ejeheri was called into action, making two smart saves to deny Dujuan Richards and Moreira, preventing Chelsea from taking the lead.

However, we regained the lead when Nathan Butler-Oydejei poked the ball home following some brilliant wing play from Ismeal Kabia.

With just ten minutes remaining, Chelsea found the equaliser once more as the ball deflected into Moreira's path, and he calmly tapped it in. Then, in the fifth minute of added time, Moreira completed his hat-trick, curling his effort into the top corner from the edge of the area, to send Chelsea into the semi-finals at our expense.

What's it means

The outcome marks the end of our season, as we bow out of the Premier League 2 play-offs at the quarter-final stage.

Team news

Arsenal XI: Ejeheri, Sweet (Oulad M’Hand, 88), Monlouis (Robinson, 88), Heaven, Nichols, Lewis-Skelly (Gower, 77), Henry-Francis, Nwaneri, Cozier-Duberry, Kabia, Butler-Oyedeji

Subs not used: Ranson, Kamara