Arsenal u21s start their new campaign against Fulham at the Emirates Stadium in two weeks’ time and, in the wake of several summer acquisitions, there is considerable excitement about how the young Gunners will fare this season.
There are plenty of young talents to keep an eye on this campaign. Jeff Reine-Adelaide, the 17-year-old winger signed from Lens, caught everyone’s attention at the Emirates Cup last weekend, and the youngster is set to feature prominently for the second-string.
The departure of Jon Toral on loan to Birmingham City, meanwhile, could open the door for another new recruit, attacking-midfielder Ismael Bennacer, to establish himself with the u21s during his first season at the club.
It will also be interesting to watch the progress of Krystian Bielik, who is close to returning to full fitness after a spell on the sidelines. The Polish defensive-midfielder was impressive in his fleeting performances for the youth teams last season and will have designs on breaking into the Capital One Cup squad.
Then there are the homegrown youngsters to consider, with defenders Tafari Moore and Stefan O’Connor looking to build upon their already considerable experience of u21 football.
The attack-minded talents of Kaylen Hinds, Chris Willock, Tyrell Robinson and Stephy Mavididi should form the core of Arsenal’s front line this season, whilst as more players go out on loan, space will inevitably open up for other players to feature in the u21s, such as Ben Sheaf, Vlad Dragomir and striker Donyell Malen, with the latter having recently been signed from Ajax’s academy.
There will be a battle for games in goal, with Matt Macey, Deyan Iliev and Ryan Huddart all competing for one place in the side. Huddart is perhaps the most promising of the trio, but the England youth international will most likely have to bide his time with the other two shot-stoppers possessing more experience.
The star turn for Arsenal at u21 level, though, could well be Gedion Zelalem. The midfielder has been tipped for success ever since he joined the club and it may be a surprise to some that he isn’t already a major part of the first-team set-up. However, Zelalem continued to develop well last season and would certainly thrive upon being the main creative force in the team, something which could well now that fellow midfielder Dan Crowley has, as expected, gone out on loan to Barnsley.
In all, it promises to be another interesting campaign for Arsenal at u21 level as they seek to get themselves out of the second tier. The opportunity to play at major stadiums, such as the Emirates, will undoubtedly be excellent experience for the youngsters.
