Bayern Munich U19 v Arsenal U19: UEFA Youth League
Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Arsenal head to League Two side Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup fourth round tonight, and with a trip to Liverpool on Sunday, Mikel Arteta is expected to make plenty of changes.
With Bukayo Saka out for at least six weeks and Christos Tzolis still injured, Arsenal are short of options out wide. Max Dowman took his chance in the last round, scoring twice at Ipswich, and another teenager could now be in line for his first competitive appearance.
Ceadach O’Neill could make his Arsenal debut against Fleetwood
As per Arsenal youth expert Jeorge Bird, Ceadach O’Neill took a full part in first-team training on Monday, along with fellow youngsters including Andre Harriman-Annous, James Scanlon and Theo Julienne. With Arsenal’s U21s facing AFC Wimbledon in the EFL Trophy on the same night, some of the academy’s best talents could be involved at Fleetwood’s ground, fittingly named Highbury.
The 18-year-old is a versatile, two-footed attacker who usually plays on either wing or as a false nine, and Arsenal have also used him as an attacking midfielder. He loves to take players on and get into scoring positions, and his record backs that up. Last season, he was Arsenal’s top scorer in the academy, with 18 goals in 30 games across three age groups.
He’s still in form now. He scored for the U21s against Leicester City at the weekend and set up a goal in the U19s’ 3-3 Youth League draw with Bayern Munich last week. He also featured in pre-season against Girona and Real Betis, scored in a behind-closed-doors friendly against MK Dons, and was on the bench for the Champions League win over Lille earlier this month.
Why Arsenal are so keen for Ceadach O’Neill to succeed
As the Daily Mail explains, O’Neill is the first player to emerge from Arsenal’s push into Scottish and Northern Irish academies, a strategy that began in 2024 after Brexit made it harder to sign young players from the EU.
Born in Kilrea, County Londonderry, he made his senior debut for Linfield in the Irish Premiership at just 15. Weeks later, he was on trial at Arsenal, and after impressing at a youth tournament in Brazil, he joined the club in March 2024 before signing his first professional contract a year later.
He’s already a senior international, too, though not without some drama. After earning his first two Northern Ireland caps against Guinea and France in June, he was approached by the Republic of Ireland about switching allegiance. He has since won two more caps for Northern Ireland, against Georgia and Ukraine, which ended any prospect of a switch.
Arteta is clearly a big admirer. Speaking after a pre-season friendly against Real Betis, he said: “I’ve been really impressed with him. For his age, he’s really mature, really focused, and he has tremendous quality. He’s a player that we have big hopes with and we just need to develop him in the right way.”
A cup tie away to League Two opposition looks like the ideal place for that next step.