Adam Birchall’s under-18s face Southampton on Saturday, August 23 in what will be their first home game of the 2025/26 season. Kick-off at the Sobha Realty Training Centre is scheduled for 12pm (UK time).
Our young Gunners got off to a winning start last Saturday, beating Norwich City 2-1 away from home.
Having trailed 1-0 at half-time, we turned the game around through late goals from substitutes Ceadach O’Neill and Maalik Hashi.
The Opposition
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Southampton also enjoyed a winning start to the season last weekend, beating West Ham United 2-0 at Staplewood Training Ground.
Last season was a successful one for the Saints, finishing second in the U18s Premier League South last term, one point ahead of us and two behind winners Aston Villa. The south coast side had the fewest defeats and scored the most goals in the division.
Despite this, we took four points from our two encounters with Southampton, coming from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 in September before thrashing Saturday’s opponents 5-2 in February.
How to Follow
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Stay up to date with live commentary on our [academy’s X page](https://x.com/ArsenalAcademy). A full match report will be available on [Arsenal.com](https://www.arsenal.com/news?field_article_arsenal_team_value=academy&revision_information=) shortly after the final whistle.
Post-match, don’t miss exclusive interviews with Adam Birchall and one of our young Gunners, alongside highlights of all the key action.
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