Arsenal Prove City's Nemesis Again

MCFC U18s 1 - 2 AFC U18s

City have suffered just three defeats all season at academy level and all three defeats have come at the hands of Arsenal. City dominated the play but lacked that incisiveness that Arsenal came with as both of their goals came from swift counter attacking play and gave the ability to finish in a more open goalmouth. A big mention also has to go to Arsenal's imposing nineteen year old Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny who in the space of six minutes in the first half went on from producing a great save to one I would describe as world class to deny City.

This result shows that having won the youth cup last season I still think City are playing catch up to the likes of Arsenal who clearly having the ability to select from a larger demographic of the population in London and the south east; also have been a top flight team for the twelve years that academy have been in force in football. That has allowed them to create a youth policy with much larger resources both financial and humanitarian.

That is not to say that City are not a great academy because they are; but clearly because of these differences City's youngsters have only been able to develop through the academy and have not been given the chance at league or reserve team football against older professionals.

Maybe in a few years when the investment that has been needed at this level for many years will come from City's new owners and we will start to see this gap being breached as the ability to attract potential top class youngsters to the club grows. Providing the jealous UEFA delegates do not get their way in enforcing limited movement of players around Europe.

Arsenal's first goal of the game came when Gilles Sunu burst into the box on the right and fired a great shot that Joe Clegg could only parry and there was Cedric Evina on the left to fire into the ungarded goal.

City equalized from a free kick; five minutes before half time when captain Kieran Trippier was fouled on the right of the Arsenal half. Chris Chantler took the in-swinging free kick and Abdi Ibrahim headed the ball as it was deflected past Szczesny into the right corner of the goal.

With just over half an hour of the second half of the game gone; Arsenal got the winner when again Sunu made a strong run on the left before pulling the ball back for substitute and England youth international Rhys Murphy to side foot into the right corner of the goal.

Certainly Arsenal showed that little bit extra quality to win; but their unsportsmanlike behaviour of kicking the ball away and decent and then to harass the referee at half time when clearly throughout the game they were getting the lion's share of decisions was perhaps an understanding as to why many opposing fans have a dislike for Arsenal and maybe given that they are quality footballers should rise above these antics.


City: Clegg(GK), Trippier(Capt.), Cunningham, Ibrahim, Boyata, Tutte, Elabdellaoui(Guidetti 82), Benali(Helan 89), Ball, Mak, Chantler(Redshaw 80)

Subs: E Johansen(GK), Mitchell.


Arsenal: Szczesny(GK), Eastmond, Cruise(Henderson 46), Frimpong, Bartyley, Ayling, Evina, Coquelin, Sunu, Watt(Murphy 62),Thomas(Capt.).

Subs: Shea(GK), Boateng, Deacon.