Jack Wilshere believes a point was a fair result after our under-18s played out a thrilling 3-3 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon.
Despite an early setback, with Brighton taking a quick two-goal lead through Shane Nti and Joe Belmont, a sensational hat-trick from Andre Harriman-Annous put Arsenal ahead. However, a late equaliser from Tyler Silsby ensured the hosts came away with a share of the spoils.
“Even though we conceded two cheap goals early on, I felt we adapted much better to what the opposition wanted to do,” Wilshere said. “I love seeing us in those situations when we’re behind. We show a lot of calmness and aggression, and it brings the best out of us."
Reflecting on the performance, he added, "It was much better all around compared to the last two games. Of course, when you go 3-2 up, you want to see the game out, but I thought a point was a fair result for both teams."
The Arsenal under-18s head coach was full of praise for Harriman-Annous, whose hat-trick earned the team a crucial point.
“He’s been outstanding and embodies what it means to be the ultimate team player. He gives you everything—presses hard, makes unselfish runs—and when you work as hard as he does, both in games and in training, you get your rewards. He can still improve in some areas, be a little cleaner, but he’s a great example for the rest of the players.”
Speaking about the six academy graduates who featured debut against Bolton, Wilshere couldn’t hide his pride.
“I was super proud because it was the first time since I’ve been a coach here that I’ve seen that happen. Hale End is famous for a reason—it’s full of talented players. Mikel [Arteta] and Edu push that from top to bottom, and a lot of those boys were part of my first group when I arrived in 2022. It’s a great feeling for me, but the real credit goes to all the work that’s been done from the foundation phase up until now. There’s still a lot for them to achieve, but it’s a big step in the right direction.”
Wilshere also highlighted the positive impact of legendary athlete Mo Farah, who recently visited the club.
“When you’re surrounded by people like Per Mertesacker, Mikel Arteta, and Edu—people who have played for the club and had great careers—it’s already special. But then to bring in someone like Mo Farah, an absolute champion and a massive Arsenal fan, it takes it to another level. His experience and mentality are incredible. We talk a lot about having a champion’s mentality, and Mo embodies that in abundance. Having him around the players was amazing.”
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
