Our under-18s were beaten 4-1 by Norwich City at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Saturday.
The Yellows made a strong start to the game, and took a deserved 2-0 lead into the half-time break thanks to goals from Kahlil Steele and Reuben Cooper.
We stepped up the pressure after the break, with Louis Zecevic-John and Brando Bailey-Joseph forcing brilliant saves from Norwich goalkeeper Niko Tkaczuk.
But late goals from Cooper and Rio Mundle wrapped up the win for the Canaries in the second half before Bailey-Joseph struck a late consolation.
### WHAT HAPPENED
Norwich made a bright start to the game and almost took the lead in the first minute when Mundle dragged an effort just wide from the edge of the penalty area.
The early pressure paid off for the Canaries after 13 minutes, when Steele's effort was deflected into the net off Patrick Stachow.
We responded well after conceding the opening goal and almost equalised when Maalik Hashi intercepted Takudzwa Gwanzura's loose pass and attempted to lob Norwich goalkeeper Tkaczuk, but our midfielder's effort fell wide of the post.
Moments later we had another chance to level the scores when Stachow rose to meet Alex Marciniak's corner, our defender just missing the ball as it flashed across the penalty area.
Norwich got the second ten minutes before the break when Cooper capitalised on a loose ball to slot home.
In a strong finish to the opening 45, Kyran Thompson forced a good save from Tkaczuk and Marciniak had an effort cleared off the line, but we went in at half-time 2-0 down.
Louis Zecevic-John almost got us back into the game on the hour mark, curling a well-placed effort towards the bottom corner only for Tkaczuk to make a fantastic save for to keep his clean sheet in tact.
We continued to push into the last 20 minutes of the game, and came close to getting on the scoresheet once again with 20 minutes to go when Bailey-Joseph's ferocious effort was tipped wide of the post.
Bailey-Joseph turned provider a few moments later, playing Zecevic-John in on goal only for Tkaczuk to make another excellent save.
Despite our near-constant pressure in the second half, Cooper finished off a clinical break for the visitors to take the game beyond our reach, before Mundle scored from close range to make it four.
There was a positive note before the end of the afternoon as Bailey-Joseph fired a rocket in off the post, but it wasn't enough to prevent a defeat in north London.
### WHAT IT MEANS
This afternoon's defeat leaves us with 21 points from our 16 games in the U18 Premier League South with 12 league matches still to play this season.
### WHAT'S NEXT
Our under-18s are back in action with another home game against Brighton on Saturday, March 7. Kick-off at the Sobha Realty Training Centre is scheduled for 12pm (UK).
### LINE-UPS
**Arsenal XI:** Porter, Hamill, Owusu-Gyasi, Stachow, Ogunnaike (Tahou, 46' (Frohock, 50)'), Murisa, Sampang (Purdy, 63'), Hashi, Thompson (Bailey-Joseph, 46'), Zecevic-John, Marciniak
**Subs:** Lupinski
**Norwich XI:** Tkaczuk, Oserhiemen, Ozcan, Glossop, Gwanzura, Sinclair-Brown, Wilkes, Mundle, Cooper (Duffy, 80'), Steele (Collins, 68'), Corke
**Subs:** Derbyshire-Came, Chukwu, Augusto
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