Arsenal U18s Edge Out West Ham in Thrilling Match

Arsenal‘s U18 team kicked off their new season with an exciting 3-2 victory against West Ham United at Little Heath on a sunny Saturday morning.

Ceadach O’Neill shined on his debut, scoring two goals, while Andre Annous added another to help secure the win in this London derby.

The Gunners started strong, creating chances from the get-go. Dan Casey played a nice ball to Annous early on, but a deflected shot sent it wide for a corner.

West Ham quickly found their rhythm and tested Arsenal’s keeper, Jack Porter, who made a fantastic double save. He first denied Elisha Sowunmi at point-blank range and then kept out Mehmet Halim’s follow-up effort.

Midway through the first half, Arsenal broke the deadlock. A fast counter-attack led by Casey culminated with O’Neill rifling the ball into the bottom corner for a stunning opener.

However, West Ham responded just before halftime when Sowunmi converted a penalty, leveling the scores at 1-1.

The second half started with West Ham on the front foot, and they nearly took the lead if not for Ife Ibrahim’s brilliant clearance off the line.

At halftime, Arsenal brought on Alex Marciniak, who made an instant impact. His clever backheel found Annous, who drove into the box and finished smartly to put Arsenal ahead again.

Arsenal continued to push for more goals. Bless Akolbire came close, with a powerful shot that just sailed over the bar.

The Gunners sealed their victory when Annous delivered a fantastic cross, and O’Neill was right there to score his second of the game.

West Ham managed to pull one back late when Riley Hargan headed home, but despite the pressure in the closing moments, Arsenal held on for the win.

This match marks a strong start for Arsenal, earning them three important points as they look ahead to facing Chelsea next weekend.