Post-Match Report

Match report: Arsenal U-23s 3-1 Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn U23 -

Mangata Pay UK Stadium, Meadow Park
Premier League 2 - Division One
Premier League 2 - Division One
  Arsenal U23
      
                  Coyle (23)
                   Medley (26)
                   John-Jules (37)
            
   crest
Arsenal U23
Coyle (23)
Medley (26)
John-Jules (37)
3 1
  Blackburn U23
      
              Chapman (79)
          
   crest
Blackburn U23
Chapman (79)

WHAT HAPPENED

We moved to the top of the Premier League 2 table with a 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers at Meadow Park on Friday night.

Trae Coyle, Zech Medley and Tyreece John-Jules were all on the scoresheet as Steve Bould’s side registered a fourth consecutive victory in all competitions.

The win sees us leapfrog Chelsea and Derby County to move one point clear at the summit of the table with a total of 23 points from the opening 12 games.

Our first chance of the evening came inside five minutes when Nathan Tormey broke down the wing and chipped a ball into Robbie Burton, who saw his volley from the edge of the box fly wide.

Chances were few and far between during the opening exchanges but we took the lead midway through the first half when Emile Smith Rowe collected a powerful header from Dinos Mavropanos. Smith Rowe then drove towards the box and played a great ball into Coyle, who kept his composure and slotted home.

We then doubled our advantage from a corner, with John-Jules seeing his header come back off the post before Medley reacted quickly to head home the rebound.

John-Jules made it three on the stroke of half-time when the ball broke to him just inside the box. The striker took a touch before drilling a powerful effort beyond the goalkeeper and into the roof of the net.

Smith Rowe came close to adding a fourth on the hour mark when a curling effort from the edge of the box flew wide of the post.

Coyle almost scored his second of the match when he brought the ball down inside the box and shifted onto his left foot, but his curling effort crashed against the crossbar.

However, the visitors pulled a goal back with 10 minutes left to play when Harry Chapman skipped past a challenge before firing beyond Matt Macey from inside the box.

Tormey almost made it four in injury time from a Coyle cut-back but was denied by the foot of the post.

WHAT IT MEANS

WHAT’S NEXT

Steve Bould’s side face Brighton away from home on Friday, December 13 at 7pm (UK time).

By Sam Cox

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