The Arsenal pre-season tour is in full swing with the senior squad heading off to the United States to play three fixtures against Everton, Orlando City and Chelsea in Florida. They will then return to the Emirates to play Sevilla in their stadium’s namesake tournament.
However, nearly all of the youth squad were left behind by Mikel Arteta. Only Arthur Okonkwo and Reuell Walters managed to get a spot on the plane having clearly impressed the Arsenal manager.
The other Arsenal youngsters have stayed behind, and many took part in another pre-season friendly. The first of the summer was a 3-2 loss to Woking but this was followed up by a 3-1 victory away at Hereford.
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Plenty of familiar faces were involved although there was no Charlie Patino or Omari Hutchinson in the squad. Arsenal split their squad in two for the game.
Full line-up: Tom Smith, James Sweet, Taylor Foran, Zack Awe, Tino Quamina, Miguel Azeez, James Olayinka, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, Ben Cottrell, Joel Ideho and Billy Vigar. Subs: James Hillson, Bradley Ibrahim, Charles Sagoe Jr, Jack Henry-Francis, Henry Jeffcott, Marcelo Flores, George Lewis, Khayon Edwards, Kido Taylor-Hart, Zane Monlouis.
Arsenal went down a goal in the first minute. Tyrone Barnett opened the scoring with the Gunners clearly not awake yet.
However, the Gunners quickly turned things around and were leading by the 16th minute. First, a goal from James Sweet, off the back of signing his first professional contract, scored from right-back and impressed throughout the game.
Before the Dutch youngster Joel Ideho, signed from Ajax, scored a header three minutes later. Arsenal made many changes to the side at half-time.
Ibrahim, Sagoe Jr, Hillson, Taylor-Hart and Edwards all came on. With Marcelo Flores, Henry-Francis and Jeffcott coming on in the half.
The second-half performance was far stronger than the first with a number of under-23 regulars from last season grabbing hold of the game. However, it was the newly renewed striker Edwards who put the game to bed.
Hereford manager Josh Gowling described the Gunners as having “unbelievable quality.” He also joked about taking Flores on loan which the Arsenal coaches ‘laughed off.’
Flores was a cut above the crowd once again and scored a great goal in the loss to Woking last week. It will be a big season for the player having already made his debut for the Mexican senior national side ahead of a potential World Cup call-up.
There are suggestions a loan might take place this summer, but Arsenal are more than aware of his qualities. Circling back to Edwards lastly, with Folarin Balogun’s sights set on senior minutes and Mika Biereth on loan, he will have plenty of chances at the highest youth level to impress and a goal in pre-season will give him great encouragement.
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