Under-21s: Fulham 0-0 Arsenal - Report

Arsenal Under-21s continued their unbeaten
start to the league season with a goalless draw
against Fulham at Motspur Park on Thursday.
Steve Gatting's side came into the game on the back
of three wins, if you include their Youth League
triumph in Marseille, but they found it difficult to
break down a physically strong Fulham side.
The Gunners spent the majority of the second half
defending and were indebted to an inspired
performance from the returning Damian Martinez.
With a number of under-21 regulars called up for
Capital One Cup duty the night before, Gatting was
forced to ring the changes from the side that beat
West Brom a fortnight ago.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Jack Jebb were both
given starts after impressing in the under-19s' Youth
League win in Marseille. Martinez returned in goal to
make his first appearance of the season.
With Fulham first-team manager Martin Jol watching
from the stands, it was the Cottagers who made the
better start to the game and they should have taken
an early lead. In the third minute Tom Richards was
set free down the left channel before his cut-back
picked out Moussa Dembele but Martinez did well to
block his low shot from close range.
But after a nervy first 10 minutes the Gunners
started to settle and find their passing game with
Anthony Jeffrey and Alex Iwobi finding space to
exploit on the flanks. And in the 22nd minute Iwobi
missed a glorious opening when he latched onto a
slide-rule pass from Austin Lipman but he could
only shoot straight at Jesse Joronen.
Despite Fulham wasting a couple of half-chances, it
was the visitors who were controlling possession but,
like their hosts, found it difficult to create anything
clear-cut. In the 36th minute Jebb came close with a
low, skidding effort that whistled past Joronen's far
post.
The game was beginning to liven up and both sides
exchanged decent openings in the final five minutes
of the half. Dembele glanced just wide after meeting
a searching cross from Josh Passley. Jeffrey then
shaved the top of the bar in first-half stoppage time
after a neat spell of passing between Glen Kamara,
Jebb and Maitland-Niles.
The second half began as the first ended, with
chances for both teams.
Iwobi spurned another opportunity when he poked
wide from close range in the 50th minute. A minute
later Fulham winger Buomesca Tue Na Bangna
weaved past three Arsenal defenders and should
have done better with his shot, despite being forced
out to a tight angle.
Substitute Muamer Tankovic shot over just over on
the hour and six minutes later Martinez showed
superb athleticism to tip wide a Dembele volley as
Kit Symons' side started to take control.
The Gunners almost took the lead against the run of
play after 68 minutes when Maitland-Niles found
some space before unleashing a fierce left-foot drive
that rattled the post and rebounded to safety.
Martinez made another important stop with nine
minutes remaining when he parried Passley's low
drive as Fulham started to crank up the pressure.
The Spanish goalkeeper was called into action again
three minutes later when he claimed an acrobatic
effort by Tankovic.
But Arsenal held on for a hard-fought point and they
have now kept a clean sheet in their last three league
games.
Arsenal U21
1
Martinez
2
Boateng
3
Ormonde-Ottewill
4
Ajayi
5
Stefan O'Connor
6
Glen Kamara
7
Maitland-Niles
Yellow Card
8
Jack Jebb
9
Alex Iwobi
10
Jeffrey 82
11
Austin Lipman
Substitutes
12
Iliev
13
Elliot Wright
14
Jaamal Raage
15
Renny Smith 82
Fulham U21
1
Joronen
2
Joshua Passley
3
Sean Kavanagh
4
Arthurworrey
5
Ronny Minkwitz 61
6
Daniel O'Reilly
7
Na Bangna
8
Christensen
9
Tom Richards 77
10
Dembele
11
David
Substitutes
12
Tankovic 61
13
Magnus Norman
14
Ange Freddy Plumain 77
15
Nanga Jonathan Buatu
16
Dino Islamovic
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.