UEFA Youth League
Anderlecht 4 Arsenal 3
Youth sensation Dan Crowley continued his amazing form by netting a
brilliant hat-trick, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Arsenal U19s from
suffering the first defeat of their UEFA Youth League campaign.
Having achieved comfortable victories over both Borussia Dortmund and Galatasaray,
tonight’s game away to Anderlecht proved a considerably more challenging task
for Steve Gatting’s side.
With Ryan Huddart set to be named on the bench for the first-team tomorrow
night, schoolboy goalkeeper Brad House, who only made his debut for the U18s
last Friday, was handed a start, whilst Elliot Wright and Stephy Mavididi
replaced the injured George Dobson and Kaylen Hinds.
Arsenal had no substitute goalkeeper on the bench after again failing to
comply with UEFA regulations. U15 goalkeeper George Phillips had travelled with
the squad but wasn’t permitted to be named amongst the substitutes as he hadn’t
been registered to play in this competition. Last season, Arsenal named just
six substitutes away to Bayern Munich in the Champions League following a
similar incident involving Ryo, following on from previous situations with
Martin Angha and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas.
House
Johnson-Wright-O’Connor-Moore
Zelalem-Maitland Niles
Iwobi-Crowley-Willock
Mavididi
subs: Sheaf (for Willock, 74), Chatzitheodoridis (for Johnson, 82). Not
used: Smith, Donovan, M. Bola, Centeno.
Arsenal got off to the worst possible start against Anderlecht as they
conceded a penalty after just two minutes when Stefan O’Connor committed a foul
in the area.
Leya Iseka took the penalty and scored to put the Belgian side in the lead
and Arsenal were provided with an indication of just how difficult this game
would be when Samy Bourard shot wide when well placed shortly afterwards.
The lead didn’t last for long, however, with Crowley scoring his first goal
of the evening with an adroit finish.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles, again deployed in a deep-lying central-midfield
position, had a shot saved as Arsenal started to grow in confidence.
It was soon 2-1, with Crowley scoring again after he cleverly lifted the
ball over the goalkeeper.
It was a tumultuous first-half, with both sides being presented with
numerous chances in front of goal. Alex Iwobi perhaps should have done better
after he was found by Chris Willock, and Arsenal were soon made to pay for that
miss when Anderlecht drew level, with Iseka getting the better of House to
score his second of the game.
House was then forced into a good reaction save as Anderlecht upped the
ante considerably, but the hosts were in relentless mood and scored twice more
before the interval to effectively put the game beyond Arsenal’s reach.
Frank Mikal made it 3-2 with a low shot before a neat passage of play
culminated in Andy Kawaya making it 4-2.
Iwobi then shot over in frustration but Arsenal went into half-time
demoralised and facing a momentous task to regain their lead.
To their credit, Arsenal continued to battle on in the second-half, with
Chiori Johnson doing well to find Crowley, who couldn’t quite get the ball
under control in time.
Maitland-Niles then shot wide before Iwobi, Arsenal’s most experienced
player this evening, rattled the crossbar with a ferocious strike.
The game looked like it was petering out but Arsenal were provided with
some late hope that they could salvage at least a point from this dramatic
encounter when Crowley was fouled in the area and a penalty was awarded.
Crowley picked himself up and converted the spot-kick, but there wasn’t
enough time remaining for Arsenal to score what would have been the game’s
eighth goal.
This will be a disappointment, particularly given the impressive manner in
which Arsenal had started their Youth League campaign, but a victory over
Anderlecht at Boreham Wood would see Gatting’s side move a step closer towards
qualification for the knockout stages.
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