By Tony Attwood
The UEFA Youth League – an under 19s competition – is now in the second season of its two-year trial – it is the European governing body’s first youth competition at club level.
Access to the competition is reserved for the youth teams of the 32 participating clubs in the UEFA Champions League group stage. The teams will play a group phase with the same composition and similar calendar as the UEFA Champions League.
After that comes the knockout phase which will consist of single-leg ties, meaning a maximum of ten matches for any team, with the semi-finals and final played in the form of a final tournament at the Colovray stadium, Nyon, Switzerland. There will be no third-place play-off game. Last season we got to the quarter finals.
So, as I am sure you know, our group will include Borussia Dortmund, Galatasaray and RSC Anderlecht.
We won the first match, by the same score as the first team lost, with two first-half goals from Kaylen Hinds getting victory on Wednesday at the Montanhydraulik Stadion. Kaylen started playing in the under 19s squad at the age of 15 – he is now 16 – so the club obviously think a lot of him.
Also in the starting XI was Gedion Zelalem, who could also play against Southampton, and should at the very least be on the bench. Such reports as we have suggest it was a very one sided affair.
Arsenal’s team was…
Ryan Huddart, Chiori Johnson (George Dobson 87), Elliot Wright, Stefan O’Connor, Tafari Moore, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Daniel Crowley, Gedion Zelalem, Alex Iwobi (c) (Stephy Mavididi 62), Christopher Willock (Tyrell Robinson 75), Kaylen Hinds
Substitutes not used: Bradley House (GK), Renny Smith, Marc Bola, Ben Sheaf
Scorer: Hinds 14, 32
Booked: O’Connor, Maitland-Niles
In the other match in our group Galatasaray beat Anderlecht 3-0.
The under 18s won again last saturday, 3-0 away to Norwich, leaving us two points clear at the top of the league after four games. The under 21s are also top of their league having beaten Villa away 2-0 in their last match.
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Wow nice to hear lets keep the fire burning,as the youth team will be the back bone of our senior team.@Tony off topic, i have not heard anybody talking about the Ma$ity game,don’t you think they have to buy?Che$ki don’t you think if you draw with a team like Schalke at stamford bridge you need to buy!!!What about liverfall getting a mike shit dean penalty and nobody talk about the dive!! I think we are not all that different from the rich so called teams or im wrong?
The team, with the exception of Zelalem, was made up entirely of players eligible to turn out for England, so some names there to look out for in the future. The next game in the competition is in the afternoon on 1st October KO 14:00 at the Meadow Ground Boreham Wood. Perfectly possible to see that game and to get to the Emirates in the evening for the senior game. Join me there please, should be a good game.
Ah nice memories for me as last season the U19 match was played hours before the real match in Dortmund. It also was played in the Montanhydraulik stadium.
It was the first time I saw Bellerin play in the flesh. And I think I wrote a very warm article about him saying he will be the one to make it first in to the first team. Damn right I was as not even one year later it was Hector who made his first real start for Arsenal with the big boys.
Last season we should have been 4 or 5 up at half time but missed too many chances and gave away a silly goal that brought Dortmund back in the match.
I have noticed the youth teams doing rather fine this season. With a few names that look promising like Akpom, Zelalem. And a boy that was with the U19 in Dortmund last season but didn’t play Danny Crowley.
I think the we must buy fans will have a hard time when these kids step up to the big boys. I sure hope the 3 mentioned above will make it to the top.
Bellerin looked so calm yesterday. Looks the real deal. Looks good enough for premier league.
Akpom. If hez scoring hat tricks after hat tricks, then isn’t it time for him to get his senior team call.
These young gunners are sooooo exciting(crap, that sounds awkward).
As Herbert Chapman wrote so many years ago, only one in twelve of the reserves, will make the first team as a regular!
The kids are firing on all cylinders!! Has this to do with the new management set-up at the Academy?
Mr. Wenger must have been keeping an eye at the Academy during the transfer window and saved the Club a few bob. The just announced financial results bore testimony to this. Well done Sir Chips !!