By Bulldog Drummond
- Does the media control football? Most certainly yes
- Why football needs more money urgently and why one day it must all fall apart
It was a rather odd-looking Arsenal team that beat Brentford yesterday in an Interlull game but it was a chance to find out how some of the up and coming stars are doing, and get a view on how Mr Arteta rates them.
The opening line up was
Leno
Swanson, Holding, Ogungbo, Tavares
Azeez, Patino, Sagoe JR, Ibrahim
Nketiah, Lacazette
Subs: Okonkwo, Sousa, Dizeyi, Bandeira, Butler-Oyedeji, Biereth, Ideho
Among the lesser known names was Bradley Ibrahim who has just signed his first professional contract having joined Arsenal in 2018 from QPR. He has played 16 times for the under 18s, as well as playing for the under 23s against Leicester.
18 year old Mazeed Ogungbo, an Irish international,l has recently signed his first professional contract having played 14 times for the under 18s and twice for the under 23s. He can play both central defence and left back.
Miguel Azeez joined Arsenal aged 5 and signed professionally in September 2019. He played in the first team in December 2020 when he came on as an 83rd minute sub in the Europa game against Dundalk.
This season he went on loan to Porsmouth, where he played six times and was recalled from loan in January. He has also been proficient in playing for England, five times at under 16, 13 times at under 17, with seven games at under 18, playing once at under 19 level and most recently three times at under 20.
As for this game against Brentford, Arsenal won 4-1; Lacazette getting three of the goals. Rob Holding scored the other goal. Nuno Tavares appeared to have recovered from the injury that has affected him recently.
The only report I can find on the game comes from Football.London who have a rather bland account, so I am not sure if they were there, but since there is nothing else to go on here it is…
“The game begin brightly for Arsenal who forced an early save from an Nketiah shot before Lacazette’s deflected effort put them in front just after the 20 minute mark.
“The Gunners then doubled their lead shortly after the break as Lacazette turned home the rebound from an Nketiah shot before complete his hattrick with a long range effort 10 minutes later. Holding then nodded in Arsenal’s fourth from a corner just after the hour mark.”
We also have a list of the substitutes…
Subs: Okonkwo, Sousa, Dizeyi, Bandeira, Butler-Oyedeji, Biereth, Ideho
Unfortunately that’s about all I can find out, but it gives an idea of which youngsters are seen as the up and coming players of the moment.
Off topic but a reminder that our Women are in Germany for the second leg of their Champions League quarter final tie against Wolfsburg. The game kicks off at 17:45 and is being streamed live (and free of charge) by DAZN on theur U tube channel.
The first leg at the Emirates finished 1-1 thanks to a late equaliser by Lotte Wubben-Moy. This second leg is likely to be just as tight as there was nothing between the teams in the first outing.
Barcelona wait in the semi-final having beaten Real Madrid last night 5-2 at the Camp Nue in front of a highest ever crowd for a women’s gameof over 91,000.