Manchester United’s under-18s hosted Arsenal today in their final match of the Under-18 Premier League Cup group stage.
The early stages saw United largely on top aided by the wind as Arsenal struggled to get out of their zone.
In the 5th minute, Adam Berry gained possession high up the pitch and threaded a perfect one-inch pass to James Nolan on the right, who forced a save from the Arsenal goalkeeper.
Two minutes later, Nolan’s relentless pressure saw him run and cut the ball off the Arsenal goalkeeper, who recklessly kicked it to earn a penalty for United.
Manni Norkett stepped forward to take and crashed into the bottom left corner to give United the early lead.
Soon after, Maxi Oyedele looked to split the defense with a pass that was cut off by the running keeper, but his clearance went straight to Oyedele, opening up the opportunity for a long-range shot into the open net. But the United midfielder was pushed off the ball before he fired.
Oyedele was in the thick of the action when he ran in and grabbed the ball from Arsenal’s Mathaeus Roberts on the edge of the box, leaving Tyler Fredicson to shoot from 18 yards over the crossbar.
In the 30th minute, Arsenal launched a rare counterattack to earn a corner. Taken short, Arsenal dribbled the ball into the box and ran past Berry, who stretched out a leg to try to recover, bringing down the Arsenal man for a penalty. Bradley Ibrahim calmly placed the penalty to the bottom right to tie the game.
Arsenal had worked their way into the match in the closing stages of the first half and began to look alive in attack when Seb Ferdinand slipped behind Sam Murray and crossed for Ibrahim who couldn’t get his feet in order for a great missed chance. .
United created a late chance before the break when Nolan passed the ball to Norkett in the box for a quick pass to Berry from 14 yards out, but was unable to contain his effort as it sailed over the goal.
The half ended 1-1 with United disappointed not to have capitalized on their dominant first 30 minutes.
On the restart, Jack Kingdon sent a long diagonal ball that was stopped by the wind for Oyedele to lob to Williams, who charged in from the left and hit the ball on a powerful half volley that sailed over the keeper to restore. United’s advantage. .
Minutes later, Berry’s ball across the box fell to Murray coming in at the back post, but the left back was unable to stop it with his weaker right foot.
Arsenal equalized in the 62nd when they cut down the middle and Ethan Nwaneri gave Louis Jackson a turn to enter the box and pass Wooster with a perfectly placed shot into the corner.
Fredricson picked out Williams with a cross, who then played into an overlapping Murray, who hit a shot on goal that begged to be touched.
In the 71st, Nwaneri, the youngest player to appear in the Premier League, picked up a loose pass from Kingdon at the midfield line and ran to the edge of the box before striking into the right corner which Tom Wooster shoved into the net. . an effort that the goalkeeper would be disappointed not to have a better one.
United looked to respond as Nolan worked his way into the box from the right and played into Berry to launch an agonizing deflection after a slight deflection.
In the closing minutes, Murray overpowered Berry and cruised under a host of Arsenal defenders to find Williams at the back right post with his side foot and level the game to earn United a last minute point.
However, the draw would still see United finish bottom of their group, having lost the first two games.
United: Wooster, Kingdon, Jackson (Musa 79), Aljofree, Murray, Fredricson, Oyedele, Nolan (Fitzgerald), Berry, Williams, Norkett
Unused Subs: Hanbury, Mantato, Baumann
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