Arsenal U23s won through to the final of the prestigious Premier League International Cup after a dramatic night at the Emirates by beating Villarreal on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Read Rosie Tudball’s PLAYER RATINGS to find out which young guns impressed on a good night for the club.
Arsenal
Deyan Iliev: 7 – Will be disappointed with Villarreal’s opening goal but redeemed himself in the shootout.
Jordi Osei-Tutu: 8 – Arsenal’s best player in the second half, got forward expertly and marshalled the defence.
Tolaji Bola – 7: A solid show by the full-back defensively. Linked up well with Amaechi on the flank.
Charlie Gilmour: 8 – Converted the penalty in the first half and put in a stellar show in midfield both defensively and offensively.
Konstantinos Mavropanos: 7 – Forced off early due to injury however a composed performance by the centre back. Despite being at fault for Villareal’s second, he saved his team on a number of occasions in defence.
Zech Medley: 7 – Commanding in the back line for the Gunners, however was caught napping a few times in possession but was the hero in the shootout.
Xavier Amaechi: 6 – A decent showing from the forward, created a number of chances from out wide, put pressure on the Villarreal defence however was unable to find the net when hoped.
Joe Willock: 9 – Ran the show in the middle of the park. Confident defensively and initiated some encouraging attacks with an impressive passing ability.
Tyreece John-Jules: 8 – Attentive and confident in possession and positioning. Scored the opener and created some good chances throughout.
Josh Dasilva: 7 – Mature and composed in midfield and impressive when defending. Lost possession in some dangerous areas but an all round comfortable performance.
Vlad Dragomir: 7 – An unusually quiet game for the Romanian, however when on the ball was a constant threat out wide.
Substitutes
Joe Olowu: 6 – Called into action due to Mavropanos’ injury, filled his position comfortably.
Yassin Fortune: 6 – Failed to make a real impact after coming on, positioning questionable at times.
Florain Balogun: 7 – Made his presence when introduced, threatening out wide making some good runs.
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