Mehmet Ali expressed satisfaction with his team's clinical finishing in our dominant away victory against Manchester United in the Premier League 2 on Saturday afternoon.
We surged ahead with a four-goal lead in just 35 minutes, thanks to a double from Lino Sousa and goals from Jack Henry-Francis and Khayon Edwards. Although the hosts managed to respond with two goals, they faced an uphill battle after our breathtaking start.
"After the first half, I was very impressed with our players," Mehmet said in his post-match remarks. "Our pressing was excellent, showing aggression, sharpness, and clinical prowess in front of the goal."
Mehmet emphasized that we had displayed similar performances in previous games but had been lacking the killer instinct in front of goal.
"This time, we capitalized on our opportunities. In other matches, we've played at a similar level, but today we were lethal in front of goal, which is pleasing to see.
"As the game progressed, we needed to improve our ability to manage the lead. We conceded some cheap goals, but credit to Manchester United for their resilience despite our substantial lead."
The under-21s head coach praised his assistant, Max Porter, for preparing our young Gunners and firing them up for the match.
"I want to give enormous credit to Max Porter; he was outstanding in conveying his instructions to our players when we were out of possession and for our high press against Manchester United.
"I'm genuinely pleased with how the team executed and applied Max's instructions during the game."
We'll be back in the North West next week, facing Everton on Friday, September 29. Mehmet is already looking forward to another challenging away trip.
"We'll be back in training on Monday, and we'll analyze this performance both individually and collectively. We're committed to pushing these players because Arsenal is an incredible football club to work for.
“We have a wealth of top talents, and as a coaching staff, we'll do everything in our power to unlock every bit of potential in our players, ensuring they have successful careers in the professional game."
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