Our under-21s showed real character on Friday night, fighting back from two goals down to earn a point against Nottingham Forest at Loughborough University Stadium.
### What happened
We almost made the breakthrough early on when Maldini Kacurri’s header found Andre Harriman-Annous, whose clever flick was met by Marli Salmon, only for the keeper to tip it over. Moments later, neat link-up play between Demiane Agustien and Harriman-Annous saw the former drag his shot narrowly wide.
Despite our bright start, Forest struck first against the run of play. Experienced forward Josh Bowler drove into the box and finished low into the corner. Minutes later, Bowler capitalised on a defensive error to double the hosts’ advantage before the interval.
After the break, we responded well. Charles Sagoe Jr held the ball up superbly, combined with Ismeal Kabia, and finished calmly to halve the deficit.
With momentum on our side, Sagoe Jr almost levelled the scores but saw his powerful strike superbly saved following another driving run from Kabia. Harriman-Annous also went close, but his effort flew wide as we pushed hard for an equaliser.
Our persistence was finally rewarded late on when substitute Seb Ferdinand cut in from the left and saw his effort deflect kindly into the bottom corner to secure a deserved point.
### What’s Next
Our young Gunners will be back in action on Friday, August 29, when we host Brighton & Hove Albion at Meadow Park.
Kick-off is at 7pm (UK time), and supporters can attend in-person for free or watch live on [Arsenal.com](https://arsenal.com) and the official app.
### Team News
**Arsenal XI**: Nygaard, Salmon (Nichols, 60) Kacurri (Clarke 78), Sweet, Washington, Dudziak (Ibrahim, 45) Copley, Agustien (Ferdinand, 78) Kabia, Sagoe Jr, Harriman-Annous
**Subs not used:** Ranson
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