Our young Gunners kick off their Bristol Street Motors Trophy campaign with a short trip to East London to face Leyton Orient on Tuesday, September 3. The match is set to begin at 7 PM (UK time) at the Gaughan Group Stadium.
We come into this fixture brimming with confidence, having won all three of their league matches this season, netting an impressive 11 goals. Our latest victory was a dominant 4-1 win over Aston Villa.
Opposition Watch: Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient’s league form has been disappointing, with the O's losing their first four matches of the season. They currently sit at the bottom of the League One table without a single point. They are the only team in the league yet to secure any league points this season.
However, the O's have shown a different side in cup competitions. In the EFL Cup, they defeated Newport County 4-1 in the first round and then caused an upset by beating Championship side Millwall 1-0 away from home in the second-round. Their reward is a third-round away tie against Premier League side Brentford, which will undoubtedly be a highlight for them.
How the Competition Works
The Bristol Street Motors Trophy features 16 groups of four teams, organised on a regional basis. Each club plays the others in its group once, either home or away, with academy sides playing all their group matches away. In our group, we have Leyton Orient, MK Dons and Colchester United.
- Points System: Three points are awarded for a win and one point for a draw.
- Penalty Shootout: If a game ends in a draw after 90 minutes, a penalty shootout will decide which team earns an additional point.
- Knockout Stage: The top two teams from each group progress to the knockout stage.
The final will take place at Wembley Stadium in April 2025.
Last season, our U21s reached the knockout stages but were eliminated by Peterborough United in the round of 32.
This competition is a valuable platform for the next generation of talent at both EFL clubs and invited U21 sides. Players like Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka made their professional debuts in this tournament, showcasing its significance in player development.
How to Follow the Match
If you would like to purchase tickets attend to the fixture at Gaughan Group Stadium, please click here.
If you are unable to attend, the game will be live on Sky Sports + for those in the UK.
Stay connected with live updates throughout the game on our academy's X (formerly Twitter) page. A full match report will be available on Arsenal.com shortly after the final whistle.
After the match, don’t miss exclusive interviews with Jack Wilshere and one of our young Gunners, as well as highlights of all the action.
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.
