Goals from Amara Nallo, Tyler Morton and Ranel Jerva Young succumbed our under-21s to their first defeat of the season in Premier League 2 on Friday night.
WHAT HAPPENED
Nathan Butler-Oyedeji had the first sight of goal when he was played in down the left win by Jimi Gower, before cutting back onto his right foot and smashing the ball into the side netting.
Liverpool took the lead moments later, Zane Monlouis miss-hitting a clearance from a free-kick and Nallo being on hand to tap-in.
Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand was next to have a go, fired the ball across goal and seeing his shot deflected just over the crossbar.
He then got a decent volley off form a corner, but it was blocked, before Harvey Davies got down well to prevent Butler-Oyedeji from equalising form 20 yards out.
The visitors went two ahead when Young’s shot was blocked well by Ayden Heaven, but the rebound fell for Morton whose effort was deflected over Khari Ranson into the net.
Gower fired a shot just wide from the edge of the box as we hunted for a goal early in the second half, but Liverpool made it three when Heaven gave the ball away to Young, who fired into the back of the net.
Ranson made a great save after James Barry Norris cut it back for Young, who hit the bar, our goalkeeper making sure there was no rebound.
Elian Quesada-Thorn then whipped a shot towards goal from the edge of the box, which was saved, before Osman Kamara got a good cross in and saw it deflected wide for a corner.
From the resulting set-piece, the ball was headed just over the bar by Butler-Oyedeji. Liverpool goalkeeper Davies then got his second yellow card for time wasting.
Substitute goalkeeper Kornel Artur Misciur then made a save straight after coming on after a great cross from Oulad M’Hand was headed by Butler-Oyedeji. Morton blocked to deny Gower from the following corner.
Still searching for our first goal of the night, Oulad M’Hand was unlucky to hit the bar after he struck the ball beautifully on the volley from the edge of the area.
Gower then tried his luck with a volley himself from 25 yards out and it was headed off the line.
WHAT IT MEANS
We fall to fifth in PL2 after tasting defeat in the league for the first time this season. West Ham United and Fulham remain the only two unbeaten teams.
WHAT’S NEXT
The north London derby is up next, Tottenham Hotspur the visitors at Meadow Park for a 1pm kick-off on Saturday, October 5 in PL2.
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal XI: Ranson, Robinson (Forde 85), Monlouis, Heaven, Quesada-Thorn, Rosiak, Dudziak (Ismail Oulad M’Hand 64), Gower, Ferdinand (Kamara 64), Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand, Butler-Oyedeji.
Substitutes not used: Okonkwo, Clarke.
Liverpool XI: Davies, McLaughlin-Miles, Nallo, Jonas, Norris, Morton, Pilling (Davidson 83), Nyoni (Corness 83), Hill, Young (Misciur 78), Morrison (Pennington 83).
Substitutes not used: Liffey.
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