FA Youth Cup, Round 4
       Meadow Park, Borehamwood
   Thursday 17th January 2019, 7pm

        ARSENAL   v    SPURS
     (Red/White)    (White/Blue)
         4-3-3        4-2-3-1

          2(1)          2(2)
Arsenal won 5-2 After extra time

  Arthur Okonkwo  1  Joshua Oluwayemi
  Daley-Campbell  2  Jubril Okedina
     Zak Swanson  3  Dennis Cirkin
 Matthew Smith(C) 4  Harvey White
  Mark McGuiness  5  Brooklyn Lyons-Foster
  Mazeed Ogungbo  6  Luis Binks
  Xavier Amaechi  7  J'Neil Bennett
  Jordan McEneff  8  Jamie Bowden
 Folarin Balogun  9  Troy Parrott
    Ben Cottrell 10  Armando Shashoua(C)
     Bukayo Saka 11  Paris Maghoma

      Joel Lopez 12  Malachi Walcott
       (3)90Mins     (5)97Mins
  Hubert Graczyk 13  Kacper Kurylowicz
  James Olayinka 14  Rayan Clarke
       (8)46Mins     (6)97Mins
      Trae Coyle 15  Maurzio Pochettino
      (9)112Mins     (9)112Mins
   Sam Greenwood 16  Chay Cooper
      (7)116Mins     (10)108Mins

Scorers:-
Cottell 12           Shashoua 7
Saka 52(pen), 108   Bennett 33
Amaechi 95
Balogun 101 

Booked:-
McGuiness 68(Pull)
Smith 80(Pull)

Coaches:-
    Ken Gillard      Matt Wells

Attendance:– 946 

Spurs travelled to Borehamwood to play Arsenal on a cold evening looking to beat the hosts for the second time this season. Arsenal have only lost once this season which was that defeat at Hotspur Way and are second in the table behind their north London rivals Spurs. The last time the two sides met in the Youth Cup was a quarter-final in 2009 at White Hart Lane which the "Gunners" won 3-1 in front of a reported crowd of over 19,000. The sides met last season in the Premier League Cup semi-final which Spurs won 4-1.

Spurs lined up with Oluwayemi in goal behind Lyons-Foster and Binks with Okedina at right back and Cirkin on the left. White anchored the midfield with Bowden alongside him. Ahead of them Shashoua was flanked by Bennett on the right and Maghoma on the left in support of Parrott up front.

Spurs kicked off the first half attacking the South end and soon got into their stride with slick passing cutting through the home defence. They took an early lead when quick passing found Parrott on the left of the goal he played the ball into the middle for Shashoua to have a tap-in.

Spurs continued to dominate the play but White got caught in possession by Cottrell who fired in the equaliser. Amaechi fired over before Spurs regained the lead when Cirkin got down the left and squared the ball to Maghoma who moved it on to Bennett on the far post to drive in. Spurs continued to dominate the play and Maghoma was played in through the middle but failed to convert. Amaechi had another effort that was saved by Oluwayemi at the expense of a corner. Shashoua played in Bennett for a chance that he hit over. Spurs should have put the game beyond the hosts before the break but poor finishing and some good defending kept the lead to one at the break.

Arsenal made one change before the start of the second half and were more determined to stop Spurs passing game. Daley-Campbell fired over in the opening minute while Balogun won a corner from Oluwayemi's save. A hopeful ball into the area saw Oluwayemi adjudged to have fouled Amaechi at the far post to concede a penalty. Saka converted it to draw the home side level.

Spurs continued to try and pass their way through the opposition defence which was now more determined to halt it. Bowden had an effort blocked for a corner that saw Okedina head wide of the near post. Arsenal were also showing more pace in their attacks which saw Oluwayemi save from Balogun and Amaechi while Cottrell fired over.

As the home side attacked they left themselves short at the back which saw them pick up two bookings. McGuiness was booked for hauling back Parrott as he got past him and Smith ws booked for the same offence against Bennett. Shashoua swapped passes with Bennett on the right before playing in Parrott for a good chance that he fired wide across the goal. Olayinka fired wide before Maghoma was played in by Shashoua but could not beat Okonkwo. Amaechi got down the right to fire over before the ninty minutes were up and extra time was needed.

Spurs lost the toss and had to defend the North end for the first period of extra time. Cirkin got forward and was fouled on the edge of the area. White took the free kick and curled it over the wall onto the top of the net. Spurs then lost the ball deep in their own half and Balogun was played through on the right to draw Oluwayemi before laying off to Amaechi at the far post to put the home side ahead for the first time.

Spurs immediately made a double change taking off Lyons-Foster and Binks for Walcott and Clarke going to three at the back with Clarke on the left flank. Amaechi was able to get down the right to shoot. Oluwayemi saved his effort but the ball fell to Balogun to score Arsenal's fourth.

Spurs reverted to four at the back with White dropping in next to Walcott in the second period but Lopez got down the left pulling the ball back for Saka to score at the near post to put the game beyond Spurs. Spurs took off Shashoua for Cooper with Parrott given the armband. After Balogun fired wide, both sides replaced their strikers. Pochettino came on for Parrott for the final minutes. The last action of the game was an effort by Saka that was wide.

Spurs began the game in confident mood and quickly got on top forcing the hosts' midfield onto the defensive which isolated their front runners. With so much possession Spurs failed to make it count. In the second half Arsenal got forward more but Spurs still continued to be able to pass their way up the field. Once the "Gunners" got in front they kept pressing to prevent Spurs from mounting a comeback and finished the game on top. Arsenal go on to meet West Brom in the next round while Spurs still have a Premier League Cup quarter-final against Derby County to come.

Ray

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