By Lloyd Webb
Steve Gatting says Arsenal Under-21s worked hard for their 1-1 draw against West Ham.
The Gunners continuously troubled the hosts' defence and were rewarded for their endeavours nine minutes from the end thanks to Chris Willock’s deflected strike.
Gatting says the competitive nature of the game was to be expected in a London derby and thinks the final score was a fair result.
"It was a very competitive game, as you would expect in a London derby"
“Credit to the boys,” he told Arsenal Player. “We were 1-0 down for most of the game and kept trying to create things but at times we were maybe trying too hard.
“We weren’t patient enough on the ball, we weren’t switching it enough and finding the openings and losing possession which helped West Ham counter us and look dangerous on the counter. We kept going and we got our reward in the end.
“We didn’t lose, we fought well to pull a goal back and we will keep going into the next game now. I know we can play better football and West Ham is a tough place to come to.
“West Ham defended well as group, made it very difficult for us and giving a goal way made things harder for us but we kept going and all credit to the boys for getting that goal back and getting a result for us.
“It was a very competitive game, as you would expect in a London derby. It was hard fought with lots of effort, perhaps at times quality was missing but there was chances at both ends and it probably was a fair result at the end."
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