Wilshere and Sagna make comebacks as Arsenal U21s ease past Reading

Arsenal's second string are back to winning ways after dispatching their Reading counterparts 2-0 at Underhill on Monday evening.

Despite an array of first team players in the starting line up, it was Serge Gnabry and Chuba Akpom who sealed the points for the Gunners.

Terry Burton's midfield comprised of first team stars such as Jack Wilshere, Emmanuel Frimpong and Francis Coquelin in what was a very strong side.

Hugely encouraging news for Gooners is that Bacary Sagna made his return to action, receiving an hour at right back as scheduled and leaving the pitch unscathed. It was the first step in what will be a gradual process towards match fitness.

His absence from the first team this season has been somewhat compensated for by the form of Carl Jenkinson, however the Frenchman's eventual return to first team football (fingers crossed) will provide a massive boost to the side.

Burton also had F1 racer turned football superstar Andre Santos at his disposal, deploying the Brazilian at left back. Despite featuring in the 3-1 defeat of West Ham on Saturday, replacing the injured Kieran Gibbs, Santos played the full 90 minutes tonight. Wenger obviously sees the need to maintain the 29 year old's fitness levels, and reserve team football is extremely beneficial in this respect.

Keown Junior...I wouldn't miss a penalty around him

Despite imposing centre half Niall Keown in the Reading side, son of Arsenal legend Martin, Arsenal took the lead three minutes before half time after some excellent link up play between Frimpong, Wilshere and Eisfeld. It was the latter who then slid the ball into Gnabry, who confidently chopped the ball inside and curled it home with his weaker left foot.

Gnabry, tipped as a "star of the future" by Wenger, impressed yet again, and could certainly be fast- tracked into first team football this year following his appearance in the League Cup against Coventry.

Arsenal centre back Sead Hajrovic almost gifted the visitors an equaliser just minutes into the second half, but Adam Le Fondre failed to capitalise on the Swiss's poor back pass. Hajrovic, hitherto criticised for a lack of concentration, will not have helped his cause with that.

Frimpong then should have scored after being put through by Coquelin, but he showed a real lack of composure and scuffed it wide.

Thankfully the points were sealed when Chuba Akpom nodded home from close range, anticipating Ignasi Miquel's flick on following a Wilshere corner. It was Akpom's last goal as a 16 year old, and the forward can expect a professional contract upon turn seventeen this week.

All in all a highly satisfactory evening for Arsenal in front of an onlooking Arsene Wenger, who will be hopeful of including Wilshere and Sagna in his plans for the coming months.

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And click here for highlights of the Reading game.

Arsenal U21s fail to impress ahead of Capital One Cup tie

Terry Burton's reserves side faced West Ham United at their East London Old Ford Sports Ground on Friday, hoping to ensure their preceding result - the 1-1 draw at home to Norwich City - was just a minor blemish in an otherwise 100% start to the season.

However, this was not to be, as West Ham dispatched their Arsenal counterparts 4-1 in what was a disappointing display from the Gunners.

Despite taking the lead after just five minutes through centre back Elton Monteiro's bullet header, Arsenal failed to cope with the relentless pressure from the Hammers and conceded two goals in each half.

Sticking to his promise after the Norwich game, Burton gave starts to those he rested, making eight changes in total. Samir Bihmoutine was handed his first appearance of the season at left back, while Serge Gnabry returned after the knock he received against Olympiakos in the Next Gen Series last week.

Sanchez Watt retained his place upfront, perhaps due to the absence of Chuba Akpom who is in Estonia with England U19s, while Nico Yennaris returned to his berth in defensive midfield. He was partnered by versatile Dutchman Kyle Ebecilio, who has impressed intermittently this season.

Few players shone; there were glimpses of magic from Gnabry, and Hector Bellerin was by all accounts a dangerous attacking threat when he came on after the hour mark.

However, Burton's decision to make such a large reshuffle to the team certainly backfired. The defence lacked organisation and experience while the forward players showed little end product.

The torrential rain may have played a part in what was a disjointed and generally lacklustre performance from Burton's men, however it was the same for both sides.

This was the final window of opportunity for some of these youngsters to impress before the League Cup tie against Coventry this Wednesday, but it did not go the way they would have planned.

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Arsenal looking to the future as Jebb and Lipman sign professional contracts

Last week Arsenal fans were greeted by the news that midfielder Jack Jebb had signed professional terms with the club, upon turning seventeen. Just a week later, it was the same outcome for industrious forward Austin Lipman, who will look to continue impressing in Pat Holland's U18 side.

For both, this is just a stepping stone in their embryonic careers. However, after Arsene Wenger's recent comments, there is reason to take considerable encouragement.

After being asked if he thought clubs would continue spending big rather than focusing on promoting youngsters from within, Wenger had this to say about our academy:

"When you look at the quality of the players born in 1995/96/97, the number of good players coming out is absolutely massive" (via @ZPAFC)

This is clearly said with Jebb and Lipman in mind, who are both born in '95. Gedion Zelalem is another outstanding prospect. The athletic midfielder was described as the most talented player in the academy by Swedish star Kris Olsson, despite being born in 1997. Alex Iwobi, nephew of Jay Jay Okocha, has also impressed, as has sixteen year old prolific striker Jordan Brown.

Jebb is considered by many to be one of the most promising players coming through the Arsenal system. Despite some underwhelming performances this season, the midfielder is a superb passer of the ball and possesses tremendous technical ability. He made his debut for Arsenal's U18 side two years ago in the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham, alongside 16 year old forward Chuba Akpom who has, it must be said, left Jebb behind in terms of progress, having distinguished himself as a fixture in Burton's reserve side.

Jebb, on the other hand, is yet to make an appearance in the second string, which will now be his primary target. He imposed himself in the U18 side last year, performing seven times under Steve Bould's tutelage, scoring a well taken free kick against Leicester City in the process.

Lipman has impressed for both club and country and has showed some real signs of progress, scoring an excellent goal last week for Arsenal's U18s against Norwich. His aim for this season will be to establish himself as a fixture in Pat Holland's side, and then possibly think of featuring in the reserves.

The future looks bright.

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Arsenal U21s continue 100% start to the season with 3-0 win over Blackburn

Terry Burton's side made it two wins from two for the Gunners in the reformatted U21 league. With the first Next Gen match of the year on Wednesday in mind, he made several changes from the team that beat Bolton the previous week, and this time decided to take advantage of the three over-age players rule, with Craig Eastmond and Sanchez Watt starting. Martin Angha came in at right back, and had a very good game, while Daniel Boateng partnered Ignasi Miquel at centre back. Chuba Akpom retained his place up front, but Kris Olsson was dropped to the bench and Serge Gnabry was not involved at all.

In truth, Blackburn offered very little in this game, and James Shea in the Arsenal goal barely had a save to make. Arsenal took the lead inside fifteen minutes through Sanchez Watt's clinical finish, after being played in by a defence splitting reverse ball by 19 year old Chuks Aneke.

The hosts were playing some good football, and were clearly far superior to their Blackburn counterparts. The Gunners' lead was almost doubled five minutes from half time, when Eastmond capitalised on an awful pass by the opposition defender and played in Watt. The forward unleashed a rasping effort which the goalkeeper did well to palm away, only for the ball to fall at the feet of Aneke who, with the goal at his mercy, had his shot miraculously cleared off the line by Blackburn's Raheem Henley.

On the brink of half time, however, Arsenal did double their advantage. Conor Henderson played a lovely ball inside the opposition full back to the onrushing Angha, whose cross was dummied by Akpom and fell to Thomas Eisfeld, who dispatched confidently. The German clearly has a natural instinct of being in the right place at the right time, and continues his fine goalscoring form.

The torrential weather conditions certainly contributed to the lacklustre second half, and there was little to get excited about. The atmosphere became subdued as news of Robin van P€r$i€'s goal for Manchester United filtered through, but the 5,600 fans had something to cheer about after 70 minutes, when Henderson's long range shot deflected past Urwin in the Blackburn goal.

The fact that sixteen year old Chuba Akpom retained his position up front, forcing Sanchez Watt out wide, is a clear indication of how highly Burton rates him. The forward did well today, playing to his strengths. He held it up, brought others into the game and worked tirelessly, while also threatening with a couple shots. It's only a matter of time before he scores his first competitive reserve goal.

Thomas Eisfeld did well too, again deployed on the right side of midfield. In addition to his goal, the German contributed to most dangerous Arsenal moves, and was at times very difficult to defend against, with his clever bursts of movement. Goalscoring midfielders are revered at The Arsenal, and just as Freddie Ljungberg bows out of the game, we can have another one to look forward to.

Martin Angha was impressive at right back, despite having little to defend against. He acted as an auxiliary attacker to great effect, with several overlapping runs and crosses, including one that led to Arsenal's second.

There's not much else to report really. Henderson did well, and Ebecilio impressed again after coming on as a substitute. Arsenal's U18 side drew 2-2 away to Blackburn, with Jon Toral scoring again, while the U16s drew 1-1.

Next up for Burton's men teenagers is Marseille on Wednesday, in the first game of the new Next Gen series - a match these youngsters will relish.

'Till next time.

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Akpom's England U19 call up cements a terrific month for the youngster

Sixteen year old Arsenal forward Chuba Akpom has progressed from one level to the next in the past month.

After making his debut for Terry Burton's reserve side just four weeks ago, Akpom has now been called up to England's U19 squad, alongside players such as Nathan Redmond (Birmingham) and James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) - with the latter starting for The Saints against Premier League champions Manchester City last week.

England U19 manager Noel Blake is usually a good judge of talent, and his side will take on Germany in a friendly this September. It will be a stern test for Akpom, who has not ceased to impress so far and will be confident of continuing his fine form.

Playing for England's U19 side when just sixteen years old shouldn't be a problem for the striker, who first appeared for Arsenal U18s at fifteen. At this age he almost made the England U19 squad, but remained on standby.

Akpom's strengths are varied. At 6ft2, he has the physical attributes - especially when married with his excellent hold up play and awareness - to make an effective target man. He also has the vision and skill to excel on the left wing or indeed in the no.10 position, just behind the main striker.

Such a multi-faceted skillset is rare to find in a man so young, not to mention his high work rate and down-to-earth attitude.

I asked Chuba some questions:

On the last month..."Its been really good. I had a good pre-season, especially scoring on my debut for the reserves against Boreham Wood. My main focus is to keep this run of form going"

On his England call up..."I'm really honoured to be selected to play for England U19s at just 16 years of age. It will be a great experience, and highly beneficial for my development as a footballer" 

On familiar faces in the squad..."I'm good mates with Raheem Sterling, we play a lot of football together during the summer break. He is a great player, I'm glad we are in the same squad"

'Til next time, and remember to Follow me on Twitter.

You can follow Chuba here.

Report: Arsenal U21s 3-1 Bolton U21s

Terry Burton's U21 side played their first match in the reformatted reserve league against Bolton tonight.

After dominating much of the first half, Arsenal were dealt a major blow when goalkeeper Emi Martinez was deservedly shown a red card after bringing down Bolton's striker, who had just rounded him. The penalty was duly dispatched and the half finished 1-0 to the visitors.

Some Terry Burton words of wisdom must have done the trick at the interval, as his side came out almost rejuvenated in the second half, and didn't have to wait long for the equaliser.

Young German midfielder Thomas Eisfeld continued his impressive goalscoring record for the Gunners with a tap in after some tidy play between Serge Gnabry and Chuba Akpom - which resulted in the latter striking the woodwork.

Eisfeld seems to have a knack of being in the right place at the right time, as he showed tonight and also with his goals during the pre-season tour of Asia.

Conor Henderson then exhibited his expertise from dead ball situations, firstly with a superb free kick to make it 2-1, and then a thumping penalty to give the Gunners a two goal cushion.

The team showed tremendous character against a physical Bolton side, who had a man advantage for most of the game. Burton will be delighted with the response of his players after half time, and they obviously listened to what he had to say. Next up for the U21s is Blackburn on Saturday, which is also at The Emirates.

Player Focus (on most influential performers):

James Shea

The young goalkeeper was excellent after replacing Martinez in goal, at the expense of Kris Olsson. His first involvement was to pick the ball out the back of the net from a penalty but numerous impressive saves followed. Most notably, a double save Wojciech Szczsney would have been proud of. The ball was cut back to Bolton's striker and from no more than 10 yards out, shot straight at the keeper, who sprung to his feet instantly to block the rebound. First team goalkeeping coach Gerry Peyton will have been impressed.

Hector Bellerin

The Barca import played at right back today, and struggled defensively at times. He grew in confidence as the game progressed, however, offering more of an attacking threat. Having said that, he missed a glorious opportunity to give Arsenal the lead, after great work from Gnabry on the right. 

Nico Yennaris

Yennaris was deployed in central midfield, his natural position, and in my opinion was Arsenal's man of the match. Having performed for the first team on three occasions - including a match against Manchester United - Yennaris added real composure to the Arsenal midfield. 

He did the simple things excellently - which is easier said than done. He broke up play, distributed possession adroitly and made a couple bursting runs forward. For a man so small he is deceptively strong - particularly in his upper body, and was not afraid to put himself about. While most of the plaudits will be aimed at Conor Henderson and Serge Gnabry, I thought Yennaris delivered a stellar performance this evening. 

"He's so good to play with", says Chuba Akpom, "he works hard and plays simple football".

Conor Henderson

The fulcrum in the side, Henderson cemented his impressive performance with two goals from dead ball situations, most notably a curling free kick from 20 yards out. 

An excellent passer of the ball, my only criticism - which I have noted after watching him in all the reserves' pre season friendlies this year - is that he tries to force play too often, constantly searching for the killer ball. As the saying goes, "football is simple yet the hardest thing to do is playing simple football". Nonetheless, Henderson played well. 

Serge Gnabry

Another fine performance from the 17 year old German, whose bullish runs and deceptive trickery are becoming somewhat of a trademark. He displayed his dexterity as a winger with an excellent first time cross with his weaker left foot in the first half, followed by some great pieces of movement to spin in behind the opposing full back. 

The mouths of the 4,000+ Arsenal fans were watered after a scintillating piece of skill by Gnabry in the second half, where he rode a tackle and then, in the blink of an eye, turned magnificently past three defenders and delivered a dangerous cross. 

Thomas Eisfeld

Like his compatriot, Eisfeld impressed again, despite struggling to impose himself on the game in spells.  He demonstrated his tremendous technical ability on numerous occasions, for example a little burst of pace from midfield followed by a Fabregas-esq scooped through ball which almost created a goal for Akpom. 

Again, he tended to drift inside from his wide right position, suggesting he is most comfortable when operating centrally. He scored the equaliser and was one of Arsenal's most dangerous attackers, so will have impressed the onlooking Arsene Wenger. 

Chuba Akpom

As ever, 16 year old Akpom delivered an industrious performance, and deserved a goal. Despite several cynical fouls from behind, leaving his ankles "destroyed", the striker continued to hassle and harry, and displayed his willingness to run in behind.

In the opening stages, Akpom played a cute reverse ball into Gnabry and the German should have scored. But for a fine last ditch tackle from Bolton's Niall Maher, Akpom would have given Arsenal the lead, and was unlucky not to score later on after his shot hit the post - only for Eisfeld to convert the rebound.

Akpom played to his strengths and has made huge progress in the last couple months. Evidently, he is making a firm impression on Terry Burton.

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Arsenal squad announced for 2012/13 Next Gen Series

The provisional - and very long - Arsenal squad for the upcoming Next Gen series has been announced. A squad comprising of 18 of the players below will be chosen on each match day. The Gunners will face Olympiacos, Athletic Bilbao and Marseille in group six, and home fixtures will be played at Barnet's Underhill stadium.

I spoke to U18 star Kris Olsson not too long ago and asked him his thoughts on the tournament. This was his response:

To play against the best teams and players from your age group is always good and it develops you as a footballer. To get an experience to play in front of a crowd and maybe TV is also good, so I am really looking forward to it!

I am sure this is the general consensus around the whole group, and the tournament is a big step in the development of these young players. Here is the squad, as listed on the Next Gen website.

Goalkeepers: 

Reice Charles-Cook - 18

Josh Vickers - 16

Defenders:

Zach Fagan (CB) - 17

Elton Monteiro (CB) - 18

Sead Hajrovic (CB) - 19

Leander Siemann (CB) - 16

Martin Angha (CB) - 18

Arinse Uade (CB) - 16

Tom Dallison (CB) - 16

Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill (LB) - 16

Samir Bihmoutine (LB) - 18

Hector Bellerin (RB) - 17

Nico Yennaris (RB, DM) - 19

Kyle Ebecilio (RB, CM) - 18

Midfielders:

Isaac Hayden (DM) - 17

Jordan Wynter (DM) -18

Kris Olsson (CM) - 17

Jon Toral (CM) - 17

Jack Jebb (CM) - 16

Josh Rees (RM) - 18

Thomas Eisfeld (AM) - 19

Serge Gnabry (AM) - 17

Chuks Aneke (AM) - 19

Forwards:

Phillip Roberts (ST) - 18

Nigel Neita (ST) - 18

Alfred Mugabo (RW) - 16

Tarum Dawkins (RW) - 16

Anthony Jeffrey (LW) - 17

Chuba Akpom (ST) - 16

Austin Lipman (ST) - 16

Zak Ansah (ST) - 18

Benik Afobe (ST) - 19

Report: Dartford 2-1 Arsenal XI

Terry Burton's third match in charge of the reserves ended in disappointment, but there are positives to be taken. 

Firstly, Serge Gnabry, the 17 year old German who recently signed professional terms with the club, was outstanding in the first half. 

Deployed at left midfield, Gnabry was a constant threat to the Dartford defence with his pace, skill and directness. The youngster has only just returned from injury yet showed no signs of rustiness with his powerful runs and general tenacity. His ability to beat a man is aided by his robust physique - particularly in his upper body strength. 

From what I've seen, Gnabry has the necessary balance between physical and technical ability to warrant him a place on the bench for the Capital One Cup this season.

In the first half, the ball was passed to Gnabry out wide, and with his first touch, the youngster audaciously span it round the approaching defender, only to be tackled by a covering player. 

Several bullish runs into the box later, Gnabry picked the ball up in a central position and drove forward in typical fashion, leaving opposition players in his wake. He unleashed a dangerous shot which beat the keeper, but cannoned off the post. 

Unfortunately Gnabry failed to have a similar impact in the second half and was subbed for Jernade Meade after the hour mark. 

Thomas Eisfeld's performance is another reason to be positive. The German, back from touring Asia with the first team, was deployed on the right hand side of midfield. His footballing intelligence is evident when you watch him, with his subtle bursts of movement and clever reverse balls. He had a chance to score early on, when a cross from the impressive Samir Bihmoutine fell to him around 10 yards out, but his effort was blocked. 

The diminutive German's tendency to drift inside from the right is a strong indication that his natural position is a more central one. He is certainly one to look out for and is likely to feature in the Capital One Cup this season. 

Moreover, fullbacks Hector Bellerin and Samir Bihmoutine were impressive. The latter was excellent in complementing Gnabry's game, whose tendency to cut inside with his favoured right foot created space out wide. Thus, Bihmoutine would tirelessly overlap, providing a source of width for the side. He also delivered several dangerous crosses, while maintaining a solid game defensively. Similar can be said for Bellerin.

However, Sanchez Watt was again underwhelming. He scored a penalty, which he won himself after an excellent through ball by Conor Henderson, but overall showed a real lack of composure in his finishing.

Chuks Aneke, also back from the tour of Asia, lacked end product. On several occasions he received the ball on the edge of the box, but poor decision making let him down. However, the mental sharpness will come with more minutes, and he should take encouragement from the fact he is getting in positions where he can score or create goals.

A poor backpass by Swiss centre back Sead Hajrovic - hitherto criticised for a fragile concentration - handed Dartford the winner. A goalmouth scramble provided Arsenal with some hope of an equaliser late on, but the game finished 2-1, ending Burton's two-match unbeaten run as manager of the reserves. 

Arsenal XI dominated large parts of the first half but failed to capitalise on their opportunities. They faced a plucky Dartford side, who grabbed the win somewhat fortuitously. The second half was rather uneventful but Burton certainly has positives to take from the game, especially from the younger crop of players.

Next up is Chesham on Saturday, where hopefully the team can finish with a win before the new season commences. 

'Til then, and remember to Follow me Twitter.