**Premier League 2**
**Southampton 1 (Oyekunle 48) Arsenal 1 (Sagoe Jr 9)**
Arsenal U21s emerged with a point from their final league game of 2025, with Charles Sagoe Jr on target in a 1-1 draw away to Southampton.
The young Gunners were impressive in the first half and took an early lead through the winger’s superb strike.
However, Southampton were more assured in the second period with Nicholas Oyekunle scoring and Khari Ranson having to make several saves thereafter, with the visitors also hitting the crossbar and the post.
Overall, though, this was still a much better performance than many of the others that Arsenal have produced at youth level recently and there were further positives with 16-year-olds Kyran Thompson and Josiah King making their debuts at this level.
Schoolboy Thompson led the line well in the absence of Andre Harriman-Annous (who remains with the first-team) and Ceadach O’Neill.
Former Arsenal defender Zach Awe featured as a substitute for Southampton.
**Ranson**
**Nichols-Clarke-Sweet-Washington**
**Ibrahim**
**Copley-Dudziak**
**Stevens-Thompson-Sagoe Jr**
**Subs: Kamara (for Stevens, 60), King (for Washington, 78), Ferdinand (for Thompson, 83), Agustien (for Dudziak, 83). Not used: Mitchell**
Stevens saw a lot of the ball in the early stages of the game, with the winger having an effort cleared away.
Abdulhalim Okonola then headed over for Southampton following a corner.
Sagoe Jr then took centre stage with the winger, who was on the bench for the first-team in midweek, putting Arsenal ahead with a fine strike as he cut in from the left flank.
Soon afterwards Sagoe Jr had an attempt cleared off the line before Thompson and Stevens tried their luck.
As the rain continued to pour, Southampton started to threaten with greater regularity.
Ranson did well to push Romeo Akachukwu’s attempt away and then Southampton had a claim for a penalty turned down before Rory Whittaker shot over.
It was an encouraging first half from Arsenal but Southampton started the second half the strongest and managed to pull level as Oyekunle dispatched a free-kick in superb style.
Ranson then had to react quickly to prevent further damage as he thwarted Moses Sesay and Akachukwu.
At the other end Stevens set an effort into the side-netting and that proved to be his last action of the game before being replaced by Osman Kamara.
Awe then came on for Southampton and Ranson added to his catalogue of stops by denying Baylee Dipepa.
Sagoe Jr then found Josh Nichols, with the defender being denied.
Nichols then switched to left-back as first year scholar King came on in place of Washington.
There was a concerning moment as Southampton hit the crossbar, with Brayden Clarke subsequently reacting well.
Arsenal made further changes as Harrison Dudziak and Thompson were replaced by Demiane Agustien and Seb Ferdinand, with the latter being deployed as a central striker.
Nichols and Southampton’s Harry Gathercole were both booked following a clash off the ball and then Sesay hit the post for the hosts.
Arsenal had one final chance in the closing stages but Agustien shot wide.
There are certainly positives to take from this display, with Ranson and Sagoe Jr performing well, while Thompson and King made their debuts.
Thompson, who has featured for England at U17 level, led the line well and demonstrated his impressive understanding of the game, while he was also entrusted with taking the majority of the set-pieces.
Arsenal are back in action on Tuesday when they face Cardiff in their final EFL Trophy group game, with a host of players set to be missing due to international duty.