Jack delighted with emphatic 8-1 win

Arsenal under-18s head coach spoke of his delight as his side emphatically won 8-1 away at West Ham United on Saturday afternoon.

Chido Martin Obi's remarkable five-goal haul, complemented by a brace from Osman Kamara and a goal from Dan Casey, propelled us to a resounding victory in East London.

"I am delighted with the performance," expressed Jack. "Especially out of possession, I thought our press was exceptional. We starved them of the ball, won it back in dangerous areas, and capitalised on our chances.

"In possession, we could have been sharper, but I emphasised to the players that bringing energy, passion, pride, and the desire to win every duel and dominate your opponent is what truly matters. Today, we reaped the rewards of that mindset."

Jack also commended his team's progress in refining their pressing style, particularly over the past few weeks, during which they've secured four victories out of their last five games. He highlighted the inspiration drawn from observing the aggression of the first team's press and their efforts to replicate it to the best of their ability. Jack stated, "We watch our first team and we see how aggressive they are with their press and we try to emulate that the best we can. We make a few tweaks as we’ve got different personnel and body types."

He continued, "But I must give massive credit to my assistant Adam Birchall. He works tirelessly to find new solutions with the press and trains it with the players and I think that win today is down to the hard work he has put in this season and last season."

Jack spoke highly of Martin Obi's outstanding performance. The striker has now scored 20 league goals this season, with an impressive 16 of those goals coming in the last five games. "He was unbelievable again, and I’m proud of the whole club with him, the coaches at Hale End, and everyone," Jack praised. "The work that they have put into his development goes unseen. Chido has improved so much; his hold-up play, playing back to goal, and the way he links and presses have improved massively."

Jack continued, acknowledging the difficulty of consistently finding the back of the net, "A big credit to him because to score five goals is not easy, no matter how good you are. As a player, the hardest part is to continuously put the ball in the back of the net, and over the last four or five games, he’s been sensational."

He concluded by heaping praise on Osman Kamara, who also played a stellar game and contributed with two goals. "I love Ozzy, and I’ve loved him ever since I’ve come into this job," Jack expressed warmly. "He’s got the mentality that we talk about, and he’s improved so much. Today, we saw the real Osman, the one who’s free and ready to get on the ball and take on his man."