Arsenal 6-0 Spurs (U18s)

Our Under-18s paid the price for a woeful first half display as they crashed 6-0 away at Arsenal on Saturday morning.

Coach Scott Parker kept faith with many of the young players, including some Under-16s, who won 5-2 at Swansea City last weekend, with only two of the starters from our UEFA Youth League victory away to Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Youth League in midweek retaining their places.

But it was a chastening experience for this inexperienced group as four goals inside the first 39 minutes and two after the break cost us any chance of the spoils in the Under-18 Premier League at London Colney.

Action summary

Goalkeeper Jonathan De Bie fumbled a back-pass to gift Bukayo Saka an 18th-minute opener, but the keeper could count himself unfortunate to concede a second on 27 minutes as he made a fine save to claw away Saka’s strike, only for Arsenal to recycle the ball to Trae Coyle who sent it spinning into the top corner.

Xavier Amaechi blasted in number three on 31 minutes with De Bie blinded by the sun, before Vontae Daley-Campbell won possession and crossed for Saka to convert six minutes before the break.

Above: Max Statham on the ball.

Brooklyn Lyons-Foster moved in from left-back to centre-half for the second period as we mixed things up, but Matt Smith was stronger in a 50-50 challenge on the edge of our box and broke through to score on 49 minutes.

Coyle was denied by a De Bie save and then a goal-line clearance from Max Statham on the follow-up, while we had our first clear chance when Paris Maghoma rolled Reo Griffiths through, but goalkeeper Joao Virginia made a low stop. Our misery was complete on 67 minutes when Amaechi picked out the top corner from just inside the area.

Team line-up

Spurs U18s: De Bie (c), Hinds, Lyons-Foster, P Maghoma, Walcott (Bowden 46), Statham, Clarke (A Shashoua 46), Patterson, Griffiths, Reynolds, Lloyd-Bennett (Richards 57). Substitutes (not used): Oluwayemi, Pochettino.

Up next

We return to Under-18 Premier League Cup action next Saturday with our final group game at home to Aston Villa (kick-off 12pm). We’ve won one and lost one of our two games in the competition thus far, putting us second in Group E, three points behind Fulham. The six group winners and the two best runners-up will advance to the quarter-finals.