Arsenal U19 secured a 2-1 away victory over Napoli U19 in the Youth League UEFA's League Phase on Tuesday. The result moves the visitors off the bottom of their group while Napoli remain in 25th place with six points from six matches.
Arsenal took the lead through A. Harriman-Annous in the 28th minute, capitalising on early pressure. Napoli responded with three substitutions at half-time, bringing on M. Mane, A. Donczew and C. Hamill in an attempt to shift the momentum. By then the hosts were already showing their intent to equalise.
M. Pereyra levelled for Napoli in the 57th minute, but Arsenal pushed forward looking for a winner. The visitors earned their second goal late on when L. Munoz struck in the 90th+4 minute, sending the away support into celebration. And here's the thing about matches like this — they are rarely decided by possession alone.
Napoli dominated the statistical battle, recording 11 shots on target compared to Arsenal's six. The hosts managed 10 shots off target and had five corners, while Arsenal relied on efficiency with a higher accuracy rate of 43 per cent. Four yellow cards for Napoli against one for the visitors showed the growing tension.
The result leaves Napoli in 25th place with a record of one win, three draws and two defeats. Arsenal move to 33rd after their first victory, having suffered five losses in six games. The visitors had come into this fixture following a 1-2 defeat to Club Brugge U19, and this win finally broke their losing run.