West Ham United defeated London rivals Arsenal to win their first FA Youth Cup since 1999 in what turned out to be a one-sided contest at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal, coached by former star Jack Wilshere, took the lead early in the first half. Omari Benjamin opened the scoring for the Gunners in the seventh minute in front of a crowd of 34,124 fans.
However, West Ham quickly turned the game around. The Hammers drew level with a goal from George Earthy in the 17th minute.
The goal gave West Ham a spring in their step, and soon, the rest of the first half was dotted with two more goals from Callum Marshal (19’) and Gideon Kodua (42’) giving Kevin Keen’s side a comfortable lead going into the second half.
In the second half, Arsenal looked like the hungrier side, constantly creating chances. However, the side was let down by poor finishing and a lack of decisiveness in key moments.
Arsenal’s lack of goalscoring efficiency was punished by West Ham once again, this time courtesy of a headed goal from a corner by Kaelan Casey in the 77th minute in front of a boisterous West Ham support in the Emirates’ away end.
The 4-1 scoreline depleted most hope for the Gunners, and West Ham constantly looked threatening in front of goal.
The final nail in Arsenal’s coffin came in the 90th minute from substitute Josh Briggs. Briggs, who was brought onto the pitch mere minutes before the goal, scored from a corner.
The final whistle three minutes later brought the curtains down on Arsenal’s quest for FA Youth Cup glory, with West Ham comfortably cruising to victory despite an uncomfortable start.
The conclusion of the FA Youth Cup finals brought the lens back on two more important games for the Arsenal senior men and women’s squads, with crucial games against Manchester City (Premier League) and Wolfsburg (Champions League) respectively.
The game against City is set to be played at the Etihad Stadium on the 26th of April 2023.
The Gunners’ women’s team will then play Wolfsburg in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals at the Emirates Stadium.