Exeter City youngsters still have a lot to learn
“If we want to get to that standards, we have to do that, so we can learn a lot from it.”
Exeter City defender Ed James said that the quality of the Arsenal U21s side who dished out a 5-0 thrashing to the Grecians in the EFL Trophy shows the step up that they need to make. The Gunners ran away with the clash on Tuesday night at St James Park to book their spot in the knockout stages and condemn City to a group stage exit with a game to spare.
The game was fairly even for around an hour, and had James Scott’s first half goal being awarded rather than ruled out for a tight offside decision, then perhaps things could have been different. But once Arsenal took the lead on the hour, they comprehensively put City to the sword.
Sagoe Jr put Arsenal poking home from close range after a well-worked move. Seb Ferdinand and then Khayon Edwards made it two and three in the space of three minutes to end it as a contest, before Jack Henry-Francis and then Ferdinand with a second grabbed goals in stoppage-time.
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For City, they are out with a game to spare, and have a slightly embarrassing record of scored 0, conceded 14, from two games, even if most of those goals came with a whole raft of teenagers on the pitch. But that shows the gulf between City’s academy products of those of Arsenal’s – which is something that Gary Caldwell’s men will want to close.
“They were all sharp, athletic, and these sorts of games, it is a real good experience so can learn from it,” James said. “It is about how sharp the movement, how they move the ball, how fit they are, and how good for 90 minutes, so if we want to get to that standards, we have to do that, so we can learn a lot from it.”
The 18-year-old was making his first Grecians appearance of the season – and the first in a year. He had been out on loan this season at Weston-super-Mare, but had found action limited at the National League South side and was recalled earlier in the day. It is likely the teenager will go back out on loan soon, but Caldwell was impressed by the performance and praised his in his post-
