This wasn't so much a ground half empty - this was very much a ground half full. The 33,662 who attended the first leg of the F A Youth Cup Semi-final were mainly packed into the lower tier, but so large was the attendance for a Youth match that the upper tier was also required to house the largely young and enthusiastic gathering. The hard-core teens congregated between blocks 10 & 11 forming their own trainee REDaction section. Whilst in the away end a similar gathering of Liverpool fans attempted to emulate the Kop. This then was a happy gathering of youngsters performing with great vigour both on and off the pitch.

The players from both teams went at it hammer and tongs for the full ninety minutes. Not a blade of grass went uncovered, not a single flinch in any tackle and not a single attack unchallenged with a speed and ferocity that would have done credit to many a league team. And the skills on display were amazing. Both teams entered the fray with what were primarily a bunch of English kids with a few added foreigners. Most of Arsenal's have been together since the age of 9 and as a team unit this really showed. They played with an unbridled trust in one another that only years together on a training ground can produce.

Liverpool had a fiery youngster called Thomas Ince, you may remember his father, needless to say he received a booking for putting it about. They also had an impressive tank at the back called Joe Kennedy playing along side a tall Spanish kid called Ayala who might have picked up a second yellow with a less leinient ref than Mr Mason. Playing a 4-5-1 they left Lauri Dalla Valle their Finnish striker alone up front in the Torres role. To support him was the very pacy and highly impressive winger David Amoo while in midfield a powerhouse called Wisdom who is I believe more normally to be found in defence performed impressively.

The first ten minutes were edgy, no surprise given the massive stage on which the youngsters were performing. But as the game settled it was the Arsenal who came out on top with a team performance that defied their age. Jack Wilshere, a name already known and revered at our new stadium ran the show. He glided past opponents, turned on a sixpence (even though he wouldn't know what a sixpence was), slipped passes through with an amazing maturity and evaded some hairy challenges, as well as putting it about himself. Jack may have a low centre of gravity and be rather short but he sure as hell never pulls out of a 50-50 challenge. Jack was brilliant, but he wasn't alone. Bartley and Ayling were rocks in defence ably supported by fullbacks Cruise and Eastmond. Keeper Shea did what he had to do.

Coquelin looked classy and solid in central midfield. Lansbury oozed class on our right, clearly toughened up having enjoyed a loan to Scunthorpe. Frimpong, born in Ghana but an England under 16 and 17 international was his usual tough end determined self but was injured in the first half. Captain Jay Emmanuel-Thomas may look like a basketball player but his skills in close control and measured long passes were a joy. Up front Gilles Sunnu our French ace showed his quality speed and confidence. Sunnu was joined by the exciting Sanchez Watt when Frimpong was injured and Arsenal at this point changed from a 4-5-1 to a 4-4-2.

Our first goal came from a sweet move from Wilshere to Lansbury to Sunnu who stroked home the opening goal to the delight of the kids both on and off the pitch. Our second came from Wilshere's very positive penalty kick after Watt had been knocked over in the box. Maybe the boys thought they were home and dry but Liverpool struck back almost immediately through their Swede Kacaniklic. Rolling over not being on the Scousers agenda the game went up a notch and a helter-skelter, tit for tat, tackle for tackle game ensued.

Arsenal gained momentum which continued into the second half when a sweet through ball by Wilshere was latched onto by Watt who coolly chipped the keeper to make it 3-1. Emmanuel-Thomas is good in the air as you would hope for one so tall and it was his header from a perfect Lansbury corner that made it 4-1. Substitute Rhys Murphy was on long enough to torment a few players and have a good goal disallowed for offside. The extra goal would have been useful because this Liverpool side won't make it easy for us at Anfield, they're too good and determined for that. But a 4-1 half time lead in a two leg final must bode well for Stevie Bould's kids.

Because I booked my ticket early this game cost me a mere three quid, the best value for money match I've seen for years. Better yet the future is bright - the future is red and white. And quite amazingly it is very English, but not in a strawberries and cream sort of way. This is an English team moulded very much in a stylish Wenger sort of way. How many of the boys will make it to our first team is of course an unknown but you can bet your life that most of them will be earning a very good living from the beautiful game and some have a very good chance of doing that in Arsenal shirts.