Arsenal Women U21s were beaten 3-1 by Manchester United U21s at Hemel Hempstead FC in the Professional Games Academy playoff Final this afternoon, with first team boss Jonas Eidevall, Head of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley and Gunners defender and academy product Leah Williamson in attendance.
Katie Reid and Vivienne Lia, who have both featured for the first team this season, played. The team line-up was as follows: Stanbury; Wilson, Reid, Lyon, Harrison; Junaid, Earl, Bloom; Seaby, Lia; Fisher.
The Gunners trailed United 1-0 at half-time and Maddison Earl equalised in the second half. Two late United goals consigned Arsenal to defeat and give United the title. Arsenal have kindly shared some quotes with us from goalscorer Maddison Earl.
‘This team has been great. Every moment, every game, everyone showed up. And it’s a credit to everyone because nothing happens without them there. And the team, at the end of the day, has the biggest, biggest impact. So all of us together, we’ve had a great season. It’s a great bunch of girls, all of us together. It’s sad to have this as our final game, we gave everything today but it wasn’t our day.’
U21s coach Elliot Allum said, ‘It was a great game of football. Our players gave everything. They gave a part of their being to try and win that game today. It was superb for player development and lots of learning there to take away from it. We worked extremely hard and obviously, we fell short.’
With thanks to Arsenal for sharing the quotes with us.
Great to see the game getting such coverage
Bad luck, girls. Hope to see some of you back in the first team soon.
Just wanna say that my son and I travelled in the same plane as the squad when they were doing preseason in Valencia and they were the nicest, most humble and friendly bunch. Well done to them all for getting so far!
jeeez, the girls deserve a better designed shirt…..
It’s been a real delight to see this team play the ‘Arsenal Way’.
Viv Lia and Katie Reid have had recognition in the first team squad and deservedly so. Vic Akers once said of a very young Kim Little “Watch this kid. She’ll be a great player” Without presuming to possess anything like Vic’s acumen . The same thought went through my mind watching Maddy Earl twist and weave her way through midfield with very Kim like control.