Arsenal’s academy is full of talent, with plenty of that on display during the North London Derby between the Gunners under-18s and rivals Tottenham.
Adam Birchall’s side were behind early on, but a flurry of goals from both teams gave them a 4-3 lead at half-time.
Things calmed down on the scoring front, though a red card from Samuel Onyekachukwu put Arsenal down to ten men in stoppage time.
Tottenham made them pay, scoring in the 100th minute to end up with a draw in the North London Derby.
While it may have been a frustrating draw, it was a match from which plenty can be learned within the Arsenal academy ranks.
Not least for one star, who came in for plenty of praise after his display.
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Ife Ibrahim praised by Adam Birchall after Arsenal under-18s draw with Tottenham
While Max Dowman impressed during Arsenal vs Tottenham, it was the work of his teammate, Ife Ibrahim, who came in for some particular praise from Adam Birchall.
The under-18s head coach discussed the 17-year-old’s display, praising his passing and raising his threat level to the opposition.
Birchall said to the official Arsenal website on Ibrahim’s impact: “You can see with the ball he maintains possession really well.
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“He’s starting to improve his high-value passing, he’s more of a threat playing forward, which has been really good to see.
“The last two or three weeks we’ve seen some big tackles from him, as well as interceptions and all the stuff he usually does, so long way to go, but at the moment his intentions are putting him in the right direction to get better and that’s the important thing.”
The youngster will be looking to keep progressing for the weeks ahead, with two matches left and the Premier League under-18s south division title up for grabs.
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Ife Ibrahim’s Arsenal under-18s season in numbers
In the Arsenal under-18s setup, Ife Ibrahim has impressed, becoming a regular within the team.
The 17-year-old is a midfielder by trade, though he has been asked to play in defence at some points in the campaign.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | 1 | 1 |
Ibrahim has been captain for the under-18s once this season and has started to step up with his performances at the level.
While he may not have the output in terms of goals and assists, his deeper midfield traits are starting to shine through.
He will be looking to end the season strong before looking to take that next step up.
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