Arsenal U21s set for another challenge in EFL Trophy

The draw for the group stages of the EFL Trophy was made yesterday, with Arsenal U21s pitted against AFC Wimbledon, Leyton Orient and Barnet.

Arsenal, who have still yet to appoint a new U21 coach, will be grateful that they won’t have to travel far in their initial fixtures in the competition.

The club’s record in the competition doesn’t make for particularly great reading – they have been knocked out of the group stages on the last two occasions and have never progressed beyond the quarter-finals.

However, since U21 teams were introduced to the tournament it has often been difficult for them to compete against senior opponents.

Arsenal U21s have recent history against Leyton Orient, having won 2-1 when the sides met in the group stages two years ago. The majority of the players who featured in that game for Arsenal have since left the club, although Ismeal Kabia, who is back from a loan spell at Shrewsbury, was on the scoresheet against Orient.

In the 2020/21 season an Arsenal U21 side including Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba and Sokratis lost 3-0 to AFC Wimbledon in the second round. Saliba was sent off for two bookable offences.

Arsenal haven’t previously played Barnet in this competition but the two clubs have a rich shared history which included Arsenal previously playing reserve and youth fixtures at Barnet’s old Underhill ground.

The sides last met in a pre-season friendly in 2019, with Folarin Balogun scoring a hat-trick as Arsenal U21s prevailed with a 3-2 win.