U18s report: Norwich City 0-9 Arsenal

1. WHAT HAPPENED
   On Saturday, our under-18 squad defeated Norwich City 9-0 on the road thanks to seven goals from Chido Martin Obi. So far this season, he has scored 28 goals in 22 games, 24 of which have come in the previous seven.

We got off to the ideal start when Harrison Dudziak sent a gorgeous ball through to Chido Martin Obi, who scored the game’s first goal in the bottom right corner with ease. Shortly after Cam’ron Ismail had floated a cross to the far post, Martin-Obi volleyed over the bar.

When Max Dowman won the ball high up the right wing, we had two excellent opportunities to make it 2-0. After his cross found its way to Dudziak, who struck the post, Norwich made a defensive blunder that allowed Andre Annous to strike the crossbar.

On the following try, though, we doubled our lead when Martin Obi again avoided the offside trap and coolly sent the ball past Henry Bullen into the bottom left corner. Martin Obi scored a goal in the 17th minute to complete his hat-trick, putting the ball in the bottom right corner after Annous had passed.

Then, while hunting his fourth, Martin Obi shot wide of the far post; Dudziak’s long-range effort met the same end. Martin Obi scored his fourth goal of the afternoon in the 28th minute after Dowman threw the ball over the top for him to rush onto and sneak it past the goalkeeper from a tight angle.

Just before halftime, Dudziak and Martin Obi connected once more, with the latter finding the bottom right again for 5-0. At the beginning of the second half, Jack Porter was called upon to tip a swerving ball over the bar in order to deny Alfie Doy.

Ismail crossed the ball again for Martin Obi in the 54th minute, and this time, he moved it onto his right foot and found the bottom right corner for a 6-0 score. After an hour, Martin Obi scored again, this time from the outskirts of the area for a 7-0 victory.

He persisted in aiming higher, missing a few goals in a commanding performance. Dan Casey used a combination of substitutes to play it through to Omari Benjamin, who missed a close-range shot.

In the 88th minute, Annous scored his first goal with a strong left-footed effort into the far corner. Casey then joined in, stealing the ball from Martin Obi and blasting it in for a 9-0 lead.

WHAT IT MEANS

We’re third in the U18 Premier League South, two points behind West Ham United.

WHAT’S NEXT

Our under-18s have a north London derby away to Tottenham on Saturday, May 4, which is an 11am kick-off in the U18 Premier League South.

TEAM NEWS

Starting XI: Porter, Ibrahim (Benjamin 59(, Ismail, Clarke, Sweet, Rosiak (Julienne 59), Dowman, Copley (Shuaib 59), Martin-Obi, Dudziak (C) (Casey 59), Annous