Arsenal u18s draw fiery Spurs match with 3 red cards

The Arsenal u18s secured a draw away to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday despite missing their head coach and receiving two red cards during the game.

Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images

The Arsenal u18s took on Spurs away from home on Saturday, with 16-year-old Marli Salmon dropping back to the team for his first u18 Premier League game this season.

Salmon has primarily represented the Arsenal u21s this campaign, as well as playing for the u19s in the UEFA Youth League. But this was his first u18 appearance, perhaps in light of the fact it was a derby match, or perhaps to prepare for the FA Youth Cup.

Ife Ibrahim also dropped down to make just his second u18 PL appearance of the campaign, having similarly spent most of this season with the Arsenal u19s and u21s.

Though on the negative side, Arsenal u18 boss Adam Birchall was unable to attend the game due to illness.

Photo via Arsenal.com

If the inclusion of a couple more players in the squad gave the Gunners a pre-match boost, it showed in the early stages.

Just six minutes into the match, Ibrahim squared for Ceadach O’Neill in the penalty area, with O’Neill converting for his 16th goal contribution in 16 academy matches this season. More importantly, the goal put Arsenal 1-0 up.

The Gunners didn’t make it to half time with the lead though, as Luca Williams-Barnett drove in a low free-kick for 1-1.

Things went from bad to worse early in the second half, as Williams-Barnett scored a penalty in the 48th minute to give the hosts the lead.

Photo via O’Neill on Instagram

Arsenal rallied, with Spurs scorer Williams-Barnett giving away possession and then compounding his error by conceding a free-kick. Teshaun Murisa fired in the rebound after O’Neill’s set-piece was partially headed away, and the Gunners were level at 2-2.

After that, the game started to get even more fiery. Salmon committed a foul in the 57th minute, and a confrontation with Spurs’ George Feeney afterwards saw both players shown red cards.

Spurs started to push for a winner, hitting the crossbar and the post with a couple of chances, though substitute Louis Zecevic-John also went close for the Gunners.

Just before the end of the 90 minutes, Spurs were handed an advantage as Josiah King was sent off as well. The foul was relatively innocuous, but deemed enough for a second yellow card.

Spurs hit the bar again in injury time, but couldn’t secure the three point against Arsenal’s nine men.

Photo via Dowman on Instagram

“We’re obviously disappointed not to get the win, but I think the team did well and we’re happy to go away with a point,” O’Neill said afterwards.

Theo Julienne agreed, adding: “I think we had to fight hard for the point, which is important because you don’t want to keep losing games. We say, if you’re not going to win, don’t lose, so that was important today.

“Obviously, we want to win every game, but we had to fight for the point today, and we’re happy to achieve that.”

Arsenal u18 lineup vs Spurs

Porter, King, Ogunnaike, Salmon, Hamill, Ibrahim, Thompson, Murisa, O’Neill, Julienne, Bailey-Joseph

Substitutes

Owusu-Gyasi (for Thompson, 64), Zecevic-John (for Murisa, 64), Hashi (for Bailey-Joseph, 80), Chapman (for O’Neill, 90+3), Lupinski

What’s next

The Arsenal u18s face Crystal Palace on December 6th, and both Salmon and King will be serving suspensions for that match.

King should then be available for the FA Youth Cup game on Monday, December 15th, but unfortunately it looks as though Salmon will still be banned.