Arsenal under-18s head coach Adam Birchall praised his side’s mentality after they fought back from three goals down to draw 3-3 with Norwich City in the Premier League Cup.
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U18s highlights: Norwich City 3-3 Arsenal
Reflecting on what was a rollercoaster of an afternoon, Birchall shared his thoughts on the performance:
On the team’s mentality…
“I’m pleased with the mentality, especially in the second half. Even early on, we showed good mentality, but we suffered after conceding the first goal. Then we conceded again too quickly, which is something we’re working hard to fix in training.
“But the energy after the break was brilliant. To go down to 10 men and still come back to make it 3-3 is a real credit to the lads. It showed what they’re capable of when they focus and give their absolute best. I just want to see that from the very start of games.”
On the fight shown, despite the setbacks…
“Obviously, we were disappointed to be 2-0 down at half-time. There wasn’t much in the first half, and we’d challenged the lads to be competitive. With the run of results we’d been on, we ideally wanted to go in at 0-0, and then suddenly we’re two goals behind.
“So at half-time it was about picking them up and reminding them 2-0 is still a game. Get the next goal, build some momentum, get back into it. But then we get a sending off, and they score from the free-kick to make it three.
“All these challenges, all these tests, gave our lads the chance to show something about themselves today. I was really pleased with the response. They’ve got to find a way to show that every day, in training, at the start of games, and when we’ve got 11 players on the pitch.”
On building from the result…
“The challenge now is to build on this. There were some lovely technical moments today, quick play, and some excellent goals. We need to keep that going and, of course, address the goals we conceded.”
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