Arsenal cruised into the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup this evening after thrashing Darlington 6-1. A hat-trick from Chuks Aneke, a brace from Benik Afobe and a Danny Boateng strike gave the Gunners a comprehensive win.
Arsène Wenger was among 200 interested spectators on a chilly night at Underhill. Steve Bould admitted last week that his side have been struggling for goals in recent weeks, but he was able to call upon both Benik Afobe and Chuks Aneke to lead the charge. Afobe was given special dispensation by loan club Huddersfield to play, while Aneke dropped down from the Reserves.
Martínez
Hajrovic – Boateng – Miquel – Brislen-Hall
Özyakup – Yennaris – Ebecilio
Aneke – Afobe – Neita
Subs: McDermott (GK), Monteiro, Bihmoutine, Rees, Monakana.
Arsène Wenger and his coaching staff had only just found their seats by the time Darlington kicked things off. The visitors had made the long journey from the North East and were determined to make the most of their time in the capital. After a bright start, Scott Harrison should have done better after drifting away from Hajrovic in the opening minutes, but he blazed a volley over.
Darlington continued to dominate the ball but the second Arsenal won it back, they punished their lowly opponents. Benik Afobe blitzed his way down the wing with a mixture of pace, power and skill. The 17-year-old could have shaped to shoot but instead layed the ball across for Chuks Aneke to slam home from close range. 1-0 with 10 minutes gone.
Özyakup, Miquel and Afobe had further chances to double the lead shortly after, but totally against the run of play, Darlington got themselves an equaliser. Danny Lambert raced away and picked out Rob Ramshaw in the middle. He converted for 1-1.
It was a shock to the system, but Arsenal reacted perfectly. Just 90 seconds after drawing level, the visitors found themselves behind again. Aneke lobbed the ball over the back four for Afobe, he latched onto possession and as Nick Thompson came racing out, Benik matched Chuks’ fine lob with one of his own. A quality finish. 2-1.
Bould continued to push his side forward, sensing Darlington were easy to pick off. He was right. A further 90 seconds later, the 200 fans had something more to celebrate. Afobe won a corner via a save from Thompson, and Özyakup took full advantage. The Dutchman’s curling ball was flicked home by Aneke. A fine header for 3-1.
The Gunners eased off the gas pedal towards the end of the half but they made sure their advantage was comfortable before going in for their well earned Lucozade’s. Aneke and Afobe dazzled the Northern outfit with their quick feet, and after swapping possession a number of times, Afobe put them out of their misery with a cool finish for 4-1.
The half time whistle came and went and within two minutes of the restart, it was five. Danny Boateng found Aneke in the box; the leggy midfielder made no mistake to complete his hat-trick. 5-1.
Arsenal passed away most of the second half by just keeping the ball. However, with 20 minutes left the hosts got their sixth. Afobe fed Danny Boateng in the box. He scored to claim a rare goal and celebrated it with a dance to rival fellow full back Emmanuel Eboué.
Afobe came off shortly after, complaining of a tightness in his calves. The brilliant Ebecilio, who was unlucky not to have a goal himself, also came off. Josh Rees and Samir Bihmoutine came on in their places. Rees had time to head wide from close range before Bould shuffled his pack again. The speedy Monakana on for Neita.
Monakana and Rees had further chances, as did Aneke after beating three players and shooting wide, but the result was key. Arsenal safely avoided a potential banana skin and cruised into round four sending out a clear statement.
Hey jamie… How highly do u rate ebecilio?? And could u compare him to another player of who he plays lik??
Great result, looking forward to seeing the highlights. This team should go far.
From what i’ve seen Ebicilio is a tall powerful leggy midfielder with good technical ability and good shot.
Great result for the lads. It is interesting to note that the six goals were scored by players of african decent. Am happy for them.
Superb combination play between Chuk Aneke & Benik Afobe
What does it matter if they were of african decent? We are all Gunners ain’t we…
Nicely done. The partnership of Afobe and Aneke is once again unstoppable, and Ebicilio seems to have settled in and beginning to show his talent.
Any news on JET and his possible loan spell?
Afobe should rest a bit
just like our first team, they have all got amazing technical ability and mental strength that no other team has
I hope Aneke makes the jump up to the 1st team next year. He deserves a chance to prove himself. He seems to be much more disciplined than JET. They can both make it but if JET isn’t careful, he’ll lose his position to Aneke. They don’t play exactly the same position, but hey, we can only carry so many 1st team players at one time.
Hopefully they will not think all matches will be this easy and keep playing like they do.
Good luck in the next round. It was good to see our lads get this far in the competition and a great experience for them. Hopefully they didn’t come away traumatised by what sounds like a great display by your lot!
The sooner these British lads get to tge 1st team the better.
These are the guys with in built drive, passion, desire and determination.
Once we have Wilshere, Lansbury, Frimpong, Lansbury, JET, Aneke, Afobe, Cruise and Boateng all in the side we can start to challenge but we are looking at 3 years yet.
The likes of Eboue, Denilson, Diaby, Vela, Arshavin, Fabianski, Almunia, Rosicky, clichy, squillaci all piss poor and not good enough
The british lads will dominate under a new regime. Can’t wait
muppet
built drive, passion, desire and determination.what have to do with to be british.have you not see England play they have none of it.
And lets not forget Lansbury with Lansbury and Lansbury plus Lansbury coming off the bench.
Just watched highlights, great play between Aneke and Afobe for their goals. Have a great understanding, Afobe could have scored 5. Nico Yennaris and Ozzy in the centre were impressive aswell. Sunderland or Chelsea in the next round, will be a much tougher test.
saw the highlights where?
From what I read Monty, it was Özyakup – Ebecilio, Aneke and Afobe running the show. And as somebody pointed out, a lot of the high performers have African background. Its not about where they’re from, its about how well they play their football!
incorrect. it IS about where they come from.
Where are these highlights someone mentioned? Good post also Jamie.
Did you all know that Pat Rice was an FA Youth Cup winner with Arsenal in 1966?!
Is there any word about Aneke getting a loan move soon?
Hi mate….nice blog…really….
why don’t we make an exchange of links? visit stadiogoal.com and let me know if you are interested in it…thanks!
riccardo…
highlights for the game
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xg50h6_youth-cup-arsenal-vs-darlington_sport
to dreddy!
most of these kids don’t even speak african. please leave them alone. i wouldn’t have a problem if they choose to play for england. afobe never been to congo, how’s he going to communicate with congolese national teammates?
as far as i am concern these kids are english, its up to them if they choose to play for nigeria or congo.
and stop being childish
wtf is African? Is that a language?
afobe and aneke should be in the first team.
wenger should leave denilson and arshavin and give these kids a try. just like he was wrong about szcesny because of his age. afobe can put up more fight than our current strikers. they made rio and vidic look world class. they can’t hit a cow with a banjo, even adebanjo could have won us the game against boring man u. they didn’t park the bus, arsenal just has weak strikers.
Rio and Vidic ARE world class…..but i kinda agree with the point you’re making.
I would love to see Aneke join up with Afobe at Huddersfield. Afobe’s done very well there so far but he would score for fun if Aneke was supplying him those perfect passes.
Having said that, I think it’s also good for Afobe that he’s having to play without that supply line. He has been spoilt by Aneke’s vision, and at Huddersfield has been made to work harder and smarter to score goals. It will make him a better player.
yes mayner,
i believe humans only speak languages. if you know anything else please let me know
There’s no language called “African” you moron. Do you speak European?
I gave you the opportunity to slink away quietly after that dumb statement but you just made a bigger idiot of yourself.
i hope you were joking mayner:/
I’m saying the same about you right now.
OH MY GOD WE PLAYED DARLINGTON NOT BARCELONA YOUTH TEAM.
Darlington cant compete with arsenal.
Of course aneke and afobe are going to cause troubles for darlington.
This Fa yout cup side isnt good enough defensively in my opinion.
The fa youth cup we won a couple of years back was the best ever.
WIlshere, frimpong, lansbury, bartley, jay thomas, eastmond
Most of those guys can break into the first team.
Out of the current crop i could probably only see aneke, yennaris, rees, hajrovic and maybe monakana
no afobe? you still didnt learn it? he is a typical goal scoring machine with great technique. he will bang next year into the first team!!
HAHA JOHN, you cant see Miquel, Ozyakup or Afobe but you can see Yennaris Rees and Monakana… hahahahahahaha You’re Stupid mate
LOL
John is infamous around the Arsenal youth blogs. Unfairly gets a hard time imo. He has his opinions and hes entitled to them just like anybody else…just leave him be.
John is infamous for being a fool. Great result for the Youth Team. I think Aneke and Afobe were outstanding. Both could easily make it for me. Great blog Jamie.
lordgunner
Typically british are renowned for desire and determination it is seen as the best trait. And what is lacking is the technical quality.
I forget who it was but a well renowned brazilian coach said “what british players have you can not teach (in built desire/passion), but once they teach technical qualities from a young age then they will be feared worldwide”
Wenger has brought the technical coaching to Arsenal and it is now coupled with the pure desire, determination to win. this is why the current crop I mentioned will be abaolutely dominant. However it will not be under Wenger as he does not have the skills to harnass them mentally unlike Mourinho would
I have to agree with that statement. AW has very, very poor motivational skills – it’s the sole reason we’ve failed miserably when we need to do a job and win by all means necessary.
This is an interesting comment Monty.
I think you over-rate this notion of British players having more passion than other players, but they do have heart. I think it’s more a function of having so little skill to be honest.
In the absence of any technical ability, what else is gonna win you a match other than a rather agricultural work rate?
So you may have something there. I think where your comment gets lost a bit is in this belief that the British players have reached the technical apex.
The most technically gifted English players at Arsenal Wilshere (of course), Afobe, Aneke, yes…they are exceptionally gifted technically relative to the run-of-the-mill English teen-age professional, but how do they rate against the most technically gifted Spanish, Argentinian, or Brazilian youth players? Though they are very big fish in a small “technical footballing pond” called England, as much as I rate those players, I do not believe they are at the absolute peak of technical proficiency world-wide.
This is the problem of coming from such an utterly technically bereft footballing culture. Invariably, when some kids begin to play the game properly they are hailed as more than they are.
Players of the technical skill of Wilshere, Afobe, and Aneke are very talented in England, but how would you rate them against an 18 year old Cesc, Messi, Pato, or Krkic. Maybe I’m wrong, but I still feel even Arsene (and England’s best youth) still have some technical developing to do to match the best youth of the countries that play the worlds most technically brilliant football.
Monty,
Here’s another angle on it though. And maybe this is a bit closer to the point you were making.
If they aready possess an exceptional work-rate and passion, maybe they don’t have to be “the best” in the world technically, maybe they only have to “improve mearsureably” from the abysmal technical level which is the traditional English birth right.
Maybe just stepping up into a reasonable level of technical merit and combining with this unique agricultural effort that you claim is special only to Brittain, will be enough to make the best British players good enough to compete internationally.
This is a very interesting point and you may be on to something. I suppose this generation, Arsene’s generation anyway, will be a good test of the theory.
One other question about this theory though, when I look at the current “superstars” of England’s national team I don’t see this work rate and passion you talk about. In fact, one of the cornerstones of Erikson’s, McClaren’s, and Capello’s teams is a that they all seem to often be passionless.
I think this is one of the things that David Beckham can be praised for. He was a character that could inspire performances of great passion from the national team on occasion.
Lampard, Ferdinand, Crouch, Barry, Hesky, et al. Hard workers…? I suppose so, but extra special in terms of work rate and passion…not a chance!
John Terry…now there I see it. He’s about as technical as a shovel, but he makes up for it with this agricultural intensity that says, “the only way I’m going to get it done is if leave every ounce of sinew and effort on the pitch ‘cuz I have no skill!”
Yh i forgot Miquel i can see him making it.
JS whats happened to Conor henderson?
He keeps getting injured? Whats going on with him.
I hope he doesnt end up like mark randall world class potential but too injury prone
Bunjaku looks a very classy, highly technical prospect. Very excited about him
John I’m not sure about Rees he looks a bit ordinary but I like Yennaris. not sure how he will develop physically though
Monty, Wenger said the exact same thing about english players
England should really be looking at him, should be called up for next U-17s squad or they could miss out on a great talent if Albania call him up first.
Btw England U16 game postponed again so hopefully Chuba Akpom, Austin Lipman, Jack Jebb and Ottewill will be called up next time. Interested to see them play.
Exactly what i was thinking..
And they are perfectly capable of missing out on him.. To think that they didn’t even call aneke for the last u19 games is quite funny