Arsenal U18s suffer FA Youth Cup heartbreak against Manchester United | OneFootball

Arsenal’s U18s saw their FA Youth Cup journey come to a heart-wrenching end as they fell 3-2 to Manchester United after extra time at the Emirates Stadium.

A night of promise ultimately ended in heartbreak for Adam Birchall’s young side, who had come from behind to lead but were undone by a late equaliser and an extra-time sucker punch.

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In the first half, Jack Fletcher put United ahead with a curling effort from the edge of the box, but Louis Copley responded in style, lifting a delicate chip over William Murdock after a pinpoint pass from Will Sweet.

Arsenal carried that momentum into the second half, where Max Dowman produced a stunning solo run, winning and then coolly converting a penalty to put his side ahead.

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Victory seemed within reach, but with just five minutes remaining, Jaydan Kamason unleashed a thunderous strike into the top corner to drag United level.

Bendito Mantato capitalised on a counterattack in extra time, turning home Lusale’s cross to claim the result.

Sweet’s late red card compounded a bitter end to the night.

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Despite the result, Birchall was full of praise for his team’s effort, stating: “Super proud, I said to the boys after the game that football can be cruel. They’ve given absolutely everything.

“For such a young team, the way they dug in and the rollercoaster of the game, to still be pushing at the end to try and get something out of it really showed the personality they have, which is definitely a bedrock to go and have a career.

“It’s going to hurt, they’ll need the weekend maybe to get over it but then they’ve got to use that hurt on Monday and we’ll go again.”

He emphasised the importance of the experience for his players, many of whom are striving to make the step up to the senior game: “When the dust settles, I know that they’ll never forget this night. But we need to make sure that this night, regardless of the score, is a springboard to go and kick on and try to build a career.”

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With their Youth Cup dreams over, focus now shifts back to the Under-18s Premier League South, where a North London derby against Tottenham on March 8 provides the perfect opportunity to channel their frustration into a response.