Southern Division champions

It may only be October, but Arsenal Women U21 have claimed silverware already. Seven wins from eight games saw the Gunners clinch the PGA South League, finishing two points clear of Chelsea.

With the league now breaking for the U17 World Cup, it will resume in November in the form of a three-tier national division. Arsenal will join the top league, with fellow Southern sides Chelsea, Charlton and Southampton, and Northern outfits Manchester United, Durham, Sunderland and Aston Villa. Each team will play each other twice to decide the national champions.

Goals galore for the Gunners

Arsenal netted 34 goals in just eight league games, including netting six on three occasions. Elliot Allum’s side began their campaign, after a pre-season tour in Valencia, with a dramatic 4-2 win over rivals Tottenham in which Ruby Seaby netted a brace.

The Gunners then thrashed Southampton 6-0 on the south coast before winning 3-0 at Charlton Athletic. A 4-2 win over London City Lionesses followed, before putting six more goals past Bristol City.

Arsenal won all four of their away games, with their only defeat coming at home to a strong Chelsea side at the end of September. The likes of Laila Harbert and Viv Lia were unavailable, whilst Chelsea had three first-teamers at their disposal including two senior internationals.

The defeat to title rivals Chelsea was briskly put behind Arsenal, who beat Brighton 4-0 and Crystal Palace 6-1. Chelsea could only muster a draw against Charlton, and Arsenal were crowned champions.

Familiar faces feature

Katie Reid, Viv Lia and Laila Harbert all played for Arsenal’s senior side in pre-season, with Reid making her Women’s Super League debut earlier this year and recently signing a professional contract.

Lia netted four goals for the U21s in their campaign so far, whilst Harbert and Reid have also found the net.

Summer signing Sophie Harwood, who arrived from Southampton, has found her feet in Arsenal red having recovered from injury in the summer. Australia youth international Millie Boughton made the switch from Tottenham Hotspur, and already has four league goals to her name.

Dual registration successes

Strikers Jessie Gale and Isabella Fisher headed to Watford and Ipswich Town respectively, whilst goalkeeper Maddison Millington-Stanbury has linked up with Southampton Women’s FC (not to be confused with the Women’s Championship outfit).

Gale has hit the ground running at Watford, scoring four goals for the Golden Girls, as well as also netting the same amount for Arsenal U21 already this season. The former Charlton forward was rewarded with an England U23 call-up.

Talented midfielder Maddy Earl joined Bristol City on loan until January, but has had to bide her time, mainly featuring from the bench for the second-tier side.

International recognition

It is a great source of pride for those involved at Arsenal’s academy that eight players are currently out in the Dominican Republic as part of England’s U17 World Cup squad, captained by Gunners midfielder Laila Harbert.

Hope McSheffrey, Eva Gray, Niamh Peacock, Cecily Wellesley-Smith, Tara Junaid, Harbert, Harwood and Fisher have made for strong Arsenal representation in Natalie Henderson’s squad.

At U19 level, Sophie Harrison, Reid, Earl and Lia will all feature for the Young Lionesses alongside Gale in the Algarve Cup, whilst former academy products Freya Godfrey and Teyah Goldie are involved for the U23s.

What next for Arsenal’s academy?

Jonas Eidevall’s resignation will mean a change of management for Arsenal’s senior side, but Eidevall’s record of bringing through young players will remain a positive mark against his name. 

The Gunners’ pre-season campaign saw plenty of opportunities snatched up by the likes of Reid and Lia, and recent seasons have proven the success of Arsenal’s pathway into the first team, overseen by James Honeyman.

Eidevall had the final say over arranging dual registrations, and would decide which young players would be given opportunities to train with the first team in pre-season.

Whilst his departure has had no significant impact for the U21s as of yet, but whoever replaces the Swede will need to recognise the resources at their disposal at academy level, as success has come to the fore both in terms of silverware and senior team recognition.