Spurs’ Under 18 side welcomed Arsenal to Hotspur Way on Saturday morning, for their final Premier League South fixture of the 2021/22 season. Spurs lost the north London derby 5-0, in what was a disappointing end to the season, with Arsenal the much better side on the day. Spurs lined-up with Aaron Maguire in goal, while a back four of Maxwell McKnight, Will Andiyapan, Alfie Dorrington and Jahziah Linton started in front of him. George Abbott and Dante Cassanova started in midfield, as Thomas Bloxham and Billy Heaps started out on the flanks, either side of CAM and Spurs captain Jamie Donley. Jaden Williams would lead the line for Spurs. Arsenal got the match underway. Early on in the match Mauro Bandeira hit an effort which deflected just wide of the Spurs goal. Then from the following corner-kick which was delivered by Bandeira, Alfie Dorrington tried to clear the ball, but it came to James Sweet inside the Spurs box, and he was able to finish past Maguire, 0-1. Aaron Maguire saved a deflected effort soon after the goal, and then against the run of play Spurs were awarded a penalty kick, after Henry Jeffcott handled Maxwell McKnight’s cross inside the Arsenal penalty area. However, Jamie Donley’s resulting penalty kick was saved low down by Remy Mitchell.

Rio Kyerematen replaced the injured Thomas Bloxham in what was Spurs’ first change of the game, before Jamie Donley had an effort blocked inside the Arsenal box. Jack Henry-Francis volleyed over Mauro Bandeira’s cross, before Arsenal doubled their lead. As Jack Henry-Francis volleyed James Sweet’s cross into the bottom right corner of the Spurs goal, 0-2. Amario Cozier-Duberry hit an effort into the side-netting of Maguire’s goal, from the left side of the Spurs box. After that chance Alfie Dorrington made a really good challenge on James Sweet inside the Spurs box. Arsenal made it 3-0 on 31 minutes, after Mauro Bandeira received a pass from Jack Henry-Francis inside the Spurs box, the midfielder went past Jahziah Linton with the ball, before hitting the ball into the goal, via a deflection off of Alfie Dorrington, 0-3. Billy Heaps hit an effort into the side-netting of the Arsenal goal from the left side of their box, before Charles JR Sagoe saw his deflected effort go over Aaron Maguire’s goal. Dorrington then made an important block from Charles JR Sagoe’s effort inside the Spurs box.

Maguire saved Mauro Bandeira’s effort from distance, before Dorrington blocked an effort from the same player soon after. Mauro Bandeira had an effort from the right side of the Spurs box saved by Maguire, just before Charles JR Sagoe headed Mauro Bandeira’s cross wide of the Spurs goal, in what was the final chance of the half. Spurs got the second half underway, with Riley Owen replacing Dante Cassanova at half-time. Bradley Ibrahim curled an effort just over Aaron Maguire’s goal, just before Maguire had saved Jack Henry-Francis’ effort with his feet inside the Spurs box, before then saving Charles JR Sagoe’s resulting effort. Bradley Ibrahim hit a low effort wide of the Spurs goal, and a couple of minutes later Maxwell McKnight did well to block Jack Henry-Francis’ volleyed effort at the back post of Aaron Maguire’s goal. A clearance from the Spurs goalkeeper then rebounded off of Charles JR Sagoe, but Will Andiyapan was able to clear the ball on the line, just in time. After going inside with the ball from the left side of the pitch, Amario Cozier-Duberry had an effort saved by Aaron Maguire. Then at the other end of the pitch Jamie Donley had a headed effort saved from a Riley Owen cross. 

Arsenal extended their lead after Jack Henry-Francis met Mauro Bandeira’s low cross inside the Spurs box, and his effort was blocked on the line by George Abbott, with the ball then looping up, and Alfie Dorrington was unfortunate not to be able to clear it for a second time, as it crossed the line, 0-4. Archie Chaplin replaced Jahziah Linton, before George Abbott hit an effort from the edge of the Arsenal box.  Charles JR Sagoe’s low effort inside the Spurs box was saved by Maguire, just before Arsenal got their fifth goal of the game. Ismail M’Hand managed to win the ball off of Archie Chaplin, before bringing the ball into the Spurs box, and finishing well past Aaron Maguire, at his near post, 0-5. The referee sounded his whistle for full-time a couple of minutes later. The season may now have finished for the Spurs Under 18 side, but the end of season Terborg Tournament in The Netherlands starts on the 27th of May, and I imagine that a number of players from Stuart Lewis’ side will travel to that tournament.

My Spurs player of the match: Aaron Maguire. Although centre-half Alfie Dorrington  made some really good challenges and blocks, as well as bringing the ball out well from the back, I thought that Spurs’ goalkeeper Aaron Maguire was Spurs’ best player against Arsenal. The second year scholar made a number of impressive saves to keep the score down to 5-0. Maguire has impressed every time that I have seen him play for Spurs this season.