Footage of the goals netted by Arsenal’s U23s in their crunch meeting with Manchester City this past weekend has begun to turn heads online.
Tottenham thumped
Ongoings on the red half of North London have of course taken centre stage in the headlines over the last 24 hours.
This comes with Mikel Arteta’s Gunners having made short work of Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, in the latest edition of the North London Derby.
Goals from all of Emile Smith Rowe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka inside the opening 35 minutes proved enough to see Arsenal to a richly deserved three points, and a spot in the top-half of the Premier League table for the first time this season.
“The youth is shining through for Mikel Arteta!” 🌟
Harry Kane gives the ball away and Arsenal capitalise!
Bukayo Saka puts Arsenal three goals up in the first half!
📺 #ARSTOT on Sky Sports PL
📲 https://t.co/AmympGmLP2 pic.twitter.com/LzAnTwdwxf— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 26, 2021
Salah amongst the goals
As outlined above, though, Arteta’s first-team panel were far from the only one of Arsenal’s outfits to have put on an impressive display this past weekend…
The other? The club’s U23s.
On the back of an impressive opening to the campaign, the Gunners’ latest crop of up-and-coming talent made the trip to the Manchester City Academy Stadium, aware that a victory would guide them clear at the summit of the Premier League 2 table.
And though, when all was said and done, Kevin Betsy’s men were forced to settle for a share of the spoils, they more than held their own up against a talented City outfit.
After Oscar Bobb opened the game’s scoring for the hosts with 40 minutes gone, Arsenal quickly levelled things up, courtesy of the afternoon’s standout moment.
Picking the ball up 25 yards from goal, 18-year-old Salah Oulad M’Hand, known simply as ‘Salah’, drove inside, before unleashing a stunning right-footed strike into the far top corner:
🔥 B A L L E R 🔥
What a hit from Salah Oulad M’Hand against Man City yesterday for #AFCU23 👏 pic.twitter.com/K8njBUjPme
— Arsenal Academy (@ArsenalAcademy) September 26, 2021
Then, straight from kick-off at the beginning of the 2nd-half, the Gunners made it 2-1.
Joel Lopez was the man on target this time around, bursting forward from his left-wing-back berth to direct a pinpoint effort home off the inside of the post:
❄️ The composure
🎯 The finish
😍 The celebrationLove this from Joel Lopez for #AFCU23 👊 pic.twitter.com/uinNPkmIiq
— Arsenal Academy (@ArsenalAcademy) September 26, 2021
Hosts City ultimately went on to bag a decisive leveller a short time later, but, after the likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka represented Arsenal’s academy setup in standout fashion in the derby, the next crop of burgeoning talent at Hale End made clear against City that they will soon be putting the pressure on Mikel Arteta, too.
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