Arsenal 16yo’s hat-trick only earns his team a point | OneFootball

The Arsenal u18s made yet another comeback against Brighton on Saturday, but they couldn’t hold on for all three points.

Jack Wilshere managing the Arsenal u18s (Photo via Arsenal Academy on Twitter)

The Arsenal u18s are developing quite a habit for coming from behind in recent matches.

At the end of August, Jack Wilshere’s team were 3-0 down to West Bromwich Albion after 31 minutes, but they drew level with a Dan Casey hat-trick to claim a point.

In their next game, Arsenal were 3-0 down again to Southampton, but goals from Casey, Andre Annous, and Alex Marciniak saw them once again salvage a point at 3-3.

So when the u18 side went 2-0 down to Brighton in 33 minutes on Saturday, they will have believed in their capacity to do it again. And so it proved.

Andre Annous after signing his scholarship contract with Arsenal (Photo via Annous on Instagram)

With Brighton having taken the lead through goals from Shane Nti and Joe Belmont, Arsenal’s Andre Annous was again on hand to help his team make a comeback in the 37th minute.

Annous pounced on a Brighton defensive error, leaving his defender behind before passing a finish beyond the goalkeeper for 2-1.

Five minutes later, it was 2-2. Once again, Annous was capitalising on an error, receiving the ball from a Brighton free-kick before expertly lifting a long-distance finish over the goalkeeper.

Late in the second half, Annous thought he’d completed the comeback as he poked a finish into the net from inside the area for 3-2.

But Arsenal got a taste of their own medicine in injury time, as the assistant ruled that a Tyler Silsby long shot had crossed the line for 3-3.

Annous’ hat-trick ultimately only earned his side a point, just as it was for Casey against West Brom. The highlights are available here.

Arsenal u18 lineup vs Brighton

Talbot, Clarke, Onyekachukwu, W. Sweet, Ismail, Casey, Julienne, Dowman, Zecevic-John, O’Neill, Annous

Substitutes

Copley (for Zecevic-John, 46), Murisa (for Dowman, 60), Harper (for Casey, 85), Ogunnaike (for Annous, 90+5), Dixon

What’s next?

After three consecutive 3-3 draws, Arsenal sit fifth in the u18 Premier League south. They’re next in action against league leaders Aston Villa at home on October 19th at 12:00 BST.

In the meantime, a few players will likely go away with their countries for the October internationals. But before that, some of the squad will be involved in the UEFA Youth League in midweek.

The Youth League is technically an u19 competition, but as Arsenal don’t have an u19 team, the side ends up being a mix of the Gunners’ u18 and u21 teams.

The midweek match will be at home to PSG on Tuesday, the same as the senior side.