Arsenal under-18s head coach Adam Birchall praised his side’s defensive resilience and character following their 1-0 victory over West Brom.
A superb early free-kick from Maalik Hashi proved to be the difference, as the young Gunners dug deep to secure all three points.
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“I’m really, really pleased with the personality I saw on the pitch,” Birchall said. “That character was there in abundance throughout the performance. Against Ipswich at the weekend, I thought we showed excellent control and dominated the game in possession.
“Today, we showed a different side to our game. Defensively, the players were outstanding – putting their bodies on the line, defending as a collective, and fully deserving the win.
“Personality is always the starting point. Do they want to defend? Do they have that desire? You could clearly see that today. There were also some valuable learning moments, particularly in our counter-attacking play, which we don’t always get to show when we dominate possession.
“These are different aspects of the game, but if the players want to go on and have successful careers, that personality, that desire to defend, help the team, and contribute in all phases is vital.”
With such a young squad, Birchall has been encouraged by how the group continues to develop together. Looking ahead, he is excited to see how his side can finish the season.
“They are a really exciting group of players. I love working with them, we all do. In recent weeks, we’ve seen just how strong they are on the ball: their connections, their style of play, their third-man movements, and their ability to create chances, even if we haven’t always converted them.
“Today showed another side to their game. Now it’s about putting everything together.”
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