Arsenal: Playing ‘grown men’ the perfect opportunity

Arsenal U21s beat Coventry in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night 3-0. Freddie Ljungberg revealed that he wanted his young players to play in the competition. He was right. It’s the perfect opportunity to sell yourself.

The jump from youth to senior football is massive. The quality, obviously, is higher. The players are more experienced and intelligent. There are few weaker spots on the opposition to exploit. It is a more physical game with younger players who previously relied on their greater athletic ability coming to the stark realisation that they are now the ones who are physically inferior. It’s placed at a higher pace; there is a greater tactical understanding; there is an added pressure because of the results.

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There are numerous examples of young, talented prospects who have ripped up the youth teams throughout their development arriving at the senior level and never quite making the grade, for whatever reason. At Arsenal alone, there are two or three players each year that depart when they were once thought of as the ‘next big thing’.

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So being able to give these young players experience of the senior game, even before they have truly broken in the first-team squad, is invaluable. That is why Freddie Ljungberg, the new coach of the Gunners’ under 23s and under 21s teams, fought to have the U21s play in the EFL trophy against League One and League Two opposition.

When speaking to James Benge of the London Evening Standard, Ljungberg revealed:

"“I fought quite hard for us to be in this competition because I think it gives players experience of beating grown men. It’s different, you see that when the tackles go flying in and the fans are cheering. That’s what happens in men’s football and they have to be ready for it. We’re not always the strongest players on the pitch, you have to use your technique in different ways. They learned a lot tonight and that’s great.”"

Ljungberg is right. As we have seen with the vast array of former youth stars faltering when they reach the senior level, there is obviously a massive difference between the two games. And when you watch them, especially live, you can see the disparity in quality, tempo and intensity. The senior game is just harder in every aspect.

So in fielding the under 21s in the EFL Trophy, a competition that only involves clubs up the third tier of English football, Arsenal are giving many of their younger players the chance to test themselves against wily old veterans who have played and mastered the game over many years. It is the perfect chance to sell themselves.

Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Joe Willock scored in the 3-0 win over Coventry to open Arsenal’s EFL Trophy run. Don’t think that that has gone unnoticed among Unai Emery and the senior coaches. And don’t think that there is not an added value in those goals in comparison to the raft they table at youth level.

Playing against ‘grown men’, and potentially beating them, is a rare opportunity for these players to advertise their qualities in matches that will best represent what they will encounter in the Arsenal first team, should they make it that far. On Wednesday, some of them took it. Hopefully, that will continue.