General Reserves Talk

[MutableEarth]

2 new professionals from our 1st years:



Amani Richards is a huge talent and should probably be a bigger deal but given the way we've clogged our forward line, he's not had many opportunities until recently.

Not seen much of Davies as of yet but the small bits show a tall, technical and progressive player so will hope to see more of him later on in the season or next.

 

[A_G]

 

[Gooner416]

 

[MutableEarth]

In contention for most improved player in the setup. Hope he goes on loan this January.

 

[AbouCuéllar]

Anyone got a stream for the EFL trophy game?

 

[9jagooner]

Did you get a stream? Arsenal leading 3-1

 

[MutableEarth]

No stream unfortunately but we're winning 4-1. Chelsea have 10 men also.

Hutchinson scored another worldie apparently and Flores has also scored his first at this level.

 

[A_G]

Auba influence>>>

 

[avenellroad]

Auba influence>>>

Looks like he’s been getting lessons from Flores

 

[MutableEarth]

Hutchinson is clear

 

[Geofranco]

Hutchinson is clear

Don't want to get too excited after what happened to Nelson, but they have similar flair.

 

[Macho]

Spoiler: Omari Hutchinson: Driving runs, a somersault celebration and maybe a call-up for the semi-final?

By Art de Roché Jan 12, 2022

This was not the first time that Omari Hutchinson has been the driving force for an Arsenal youth team this season. On this occasion they were beating Chelsea Under-21s to advance to the quarter-finals of the Papa John’s Trophy.

The opening two weeks of the season showed, in both victory and defeat, how the 18-year-old is ready to take the game to his opponent. Despite losing 6-1 to West Ham Under-23s in the first game of the season, he was the player pushing Arsenal forward, winning a penalty late on at the London Stadium. Five days later, he showed similar application in a better overall team performance, scoring twice in a 4-2 win against Crystal Palace Under-23s.

Carrying this attitude through the first half of the season, he was rewarded with a place on the bench (alongside Salah Oulad M’Hand and Mika Biereth) when the first team travelled to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round at the weekend. In Hutchinson’s case, however, he was also handed an unofficial debut in pre-season against Hibernian and featured in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Brentford in September.

For the most part this term, the England Under-19 international has featured off the right wing. The make-up of Kevin Betsy’s squad, with Folarin Balogun regularly turning out for them, has seen the general shape switch between a 3-4-3 with wingers (Kido Taylor-Hart and Hutchinson) and a 3-5-2 with two strikers (Balogun and Biereth). Despite this resulting in less game time for Hutchinson, it has not dented the youngster’s influence on the side.

“He’s a fantastic professional. Omari, at the beginning of the season, started on fire. We played Crystal Palace, he scored two fantastic goals, next game (at) Tottenham he assisted two goals. Unfortunately, he got injured and was out for a couple of weeks, then Flo and Eddie came into the side and he had to wait (for) his chance,” Betsy explained.

“Then he got COVID, so it’s been a bit stop-start in terms of regular minutes, but if you look over the course of the season, he’s nearly at double figures for assists. When he plays, his impact is huge and we’re really pleased with his contribution.”

An incredibly technical player, already well known for honing his skills playing futsal from a young age, it has not been a surprise to see Hutchinson play more centrally of late.

He has played further infield in recent Premier League 2 games against Blackburn Rovers Under-23s, Everton Under-23s and Brighton Under-23s, but was also used there in the Papa John’s Trophy win over Ipswich Town last month. At Portman Road, he played a key role in Balogun’s equaliser. Drifting infield and making an off-ball run into the box, he was the striker’s option for a silky one-two before Balogun applied the finishing touch.

This continued against Chelsea Under-21s. With Balogun close to a loan move to Middlesbrough, Betsy has one less striker available and led to him tweaking the team’s shape to more of a 5-3-1-1. Hutchinson started as that floating No 10 behind Biereth after individual work on playing in those spaces over the past couple of weeks.

“We did a lot of work on the training ground in the last three or four days and even last week on his movements and where he can pick up dangerous positions,” Betsy said afterwards.
“Sometimes he’ll find himself in the 10 position and you can see with our shape, we make a diamond in the middle — today it helped because Chelsea played (with a) box. So, (with) a diamond against a box, you can make an overload. He also gravitates towards the flanks and that is also a key area for us to exploit if he occupies the wide areas.

“He’s very intelligent. He had a couple of moments when he stayed on the ball a bit too long and got caught, but I was so pleased for his goal. He was coming off at 60 minutes, he knew that, and then to score just before coming off, that was fantastic for him and he deserves it. He created a lot of havoc in the final third for us.”
For most of the hour that Hutchinson was on the pitch, that midfield diamond consisted of Jack Henry-Francis in a deeper role flanked by Oulad-M’Hand and James Olayinka/Tim Akinola, with Hutchinson at the tip.

He was involved in the opening goal after 10 minutes. Showing great close control under pressure near the halfway line he drove upfield and into the final third. A few passes later and Olayinka was redirecting Joel Lopez’s volley home to make it 1-0 to Arsenal.
On 32 minutes, Hutchinson was chasing a loose ball and won it off the defender Alfie Gilchrist. Driving up to the box, a poked pass in behind for Biereth was weighted well for the striker to get a shot off, but it was saved. Alongside these isolated moments, the quick feet in and around the box, often evading challenges to burst wide and get crosses into the box, helped pile the pressure on Chelsea, but it was his goal most will remember from the game.

Receiving possession off-centre, near the right wing, he drove forward again. As Chelsea’s defence backed off, the 18-year-old bent his effort from just outside the box past Teddy Sharman-Lowe and into the far corner, seconds before he was meant to be substituted. His somersault celebration kept excitement levels at the Emirates high, but it could be the behind-the-scenes work on those movements into more dangerous areas that prove crucial.

(Photo: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

This exposure to central areas is not new. Both his goals against Crystal Palace in August came from him drifting inside despite starting on the right wing, for instance.

The plan was for both Hutchinson and Oulad M’Hand to come off after an hour against Chelsea and given the shortage of options that first-team manager Mikel Arteta has in midfield, it would not be a total surprise if they feature in the match-day squad again against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final.
“For those players’ development, they got an experience of understanding what an FA Cup tie is like: the atmosphere away from home, the expectation of a first-team player and how they handle those situations,” Betsy said of the three players who made the bench against Forest on the weekend (Hutchinson, Biereth and M’Hand).

“There are gaps in certain positions (in the first team) and they’re getting opportunities, that’s part of the job.”

If not, however, facing Wigan Athletic in the quarter-finals of the Papa John’s Trophy at the end of January will provide another platform for Hutchinson to shine.

Seen this one late sorry guys, I try to avoid the Athletic when I can. Got a lot of time for Omari though.

 

[Ibadan]

Anyone have a stream for today's game?

 

[MutableEarth]

Anyone have a stream for today's game?

Searching, can't seem to find one that works. KO is in a few mins.

 

[Aussie_gunner123]

Which current academy players are the most ready for the 1st team everyone think? Which academy players went to the 1st teams Dubai training camp too?

 

[kofigunner]

Which current academy players are the most ready for the 1st team everyone think? Which academy players went to the 1st teams Dubai training camp too?

Jeorge Bird has a blog on the youngsters, very good site to check on the youth.

From Azeez to Rekik – the Arsenal youngsters closest to the first-team squad

When Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s move to Barcelona is finalised, Arsenal will have just 21 players in their first-team squad, which includes three goalkeepers. Therefore, it will only take one abse…

arsenalyouth.wordpress.com

 

[Afro Mugo]

Watching the u23s vs Leicester. A bit of a shaky start especially from Okonkwo . Understandable due to his lack of playing time and no recognized CB playing. Salah and Omari have run the game. Flores has also been good . Its fun watching all 3 technical ball hogs . Azeez has had an Azeez performance. The talent is visible but he leaves you with more questions than answers. Swanson has been really good . He will have a good career somewhere. The talent is there. Khayon has struggled a bit . Seems out of pace. Hope the game humbles him a lil bit. I like Reuell Walters. Makeshift CB but the talent is clear. Hope Betsy brings on a CB for Ibrahim and one of Swanson or Reuell goes to RB.

 

[Afro Mugo]

Just to add. I have watched u23 football for quite some years and I'm struggling to find a player who's as dominant as Omari is at his age. He is consistently running each and every game. Saka Wasn't at this level long enough and ESR was also quite impressive, though he was already playing first team football at 18. Salah seems to also be coming out of his shell. I'm sure if there were stats , he probably has had the most touches in a team full of ball hogs like Azeez Omari and Flores.

 

[Geofranco]

Just to add. I have watched u23 football for quite some years and I'm struggling to find a player who's as dominant as Omari is at his age. He is consistently running each and every game. Saka Wasn't at this level long enough and ESR was also quite impressive, though he was already playing first team football at 18. Salah seems to also be coming out of his shell. I'm sure if there were stats , he probably has had the most touches in a team full of ball hogs like Azeez Omari and Flores.

Nelson looked this dominant at 17. I would Nelson was even a bit more explosive. Omari is more two footed and smoother, Nelson was a bit mechanical at times.

 

[boonthegoon]

Omari with a fan