U18s Report: Leicester City 3 Arsenal 5

The young Foxes took an early lead through captain Elliott Moore, but City found themselves 2-1 down at half-time thanks to goals from Stephy Mavididi and Stefan O’Connor.
Blistering pace on the break from the visitors saw Mavididi score his second of the game before strikes from Aaron Eyoma and Gedion Zelalem made it 5-1 to Arsenal.
Despite Keenan King and Kyle Bailey both producing impressive finishes in the dying stages, it was Arsenal who returned to London with all three points.
The young Foxes had already suffered a narrow 1-0 league defeat to Arsenal last month, but were buoyed by their progression into the FA Youth Cup Semi-Finals after beating Birmingham 2-1 at King Power Stadium last week.
After setting up a last-four cup tie with Manchester City, Leicester’s attentions turned to the U18 Premier League. A win against the young Gunners, who sat 11th in the table going into the clash, could take City as high as fifth in the league going into their tricky tie at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
City first threatened through England Under-17s international Layton Ndukwu, who cut in from the right wing before forcing a fine save out of goalkeeper Hugo Keto.
But the resulting corner, delivered by Matty Miles to the back post, found centre-half Moore, who kept his composure to give his side the lead on eight minutes.
Max Smith-Varnham then comfortably collected Zelalem’s 20-yard free kick as Arsenal looked to put their stamp on the game, but it was from the spot that the visitors would find their equaliser.
Hamza Choudhury brought down Renny Smith in the box before striker Mavididi converted the penalty to Smith-Varnham’s right to level the game up at 1-1 with 18 minutes on the clock.
Keto then pulled off two good saves on the half-hour mark. The Arsenal shot-stopper first denied Harvey Barnes’ low effort before tipping Choudhury’s 25-yard strike away to safety.
The visitors took the lead with 10 minutes of the second half to play as defender O’Connor controlled Smith’s cross from the right before hammering in a low drive in past Smith-Varnham.
King tried to haul his side level shortly before the break, only to see his shot again denied by the defiant Keto – 2-1 to Arsenal at half-time.
Despite a bright start to the second period from City, Arsenal scored two goals in two minutes to extend their advantage.
Mavididi grabbed his second of the game on 53 minutes before Eyoma rounded off a blistering counter-attack just moments later as City pushed forward to get themselves back into the game.
Barnes had Keto mildly concerned on 66 minutes after striking the shot-stopper’s crossbar, but it was Arsenal who made it 5-1 10 minutes later – Zelalem slotting in to give his side a four-goal cushion.
A frantic final few minutes saw King produce a neat finish to pull one back for the young Foxes before substitute Bailey’s superb strike from a difficult angle made it 5-3.
King mustered up the final effort of the game from range, but the powerful striker missed the target and couldn’t mount a sensational comeback.
Suffering their first loss in three games, City’s Under-18s next face a trip Tottenham Hotspur in the U18 Premier League on Saturday 7 March.
CITY: Smith-Varnham, Kennedy, Percival, Choudhury (Bailey 65), Moore (c), Kipre, Ndukwu (Muskwe 73), Miles, King, Barnes, Fox
SUBS NOT USED: Knight, Bramley, Fura
GOALS: Moore 8, King 90, Bailey 90
ARSENAL: Keto, Smith, Bola, Maitland-Niles, O’Connor, Dobson (c), Eyoma (Mourgos 80), Bielik (Sheaf 76), Mavididi, Zelalem (Robinson 80), Willock
SUBS NOT USED: Philips
GOALS: Mavididi pen 18, 53, O’Connor 35, Eyoma 54, Zelalem 76
REFEREE: Mr J. Carter