Arsenal coach impressed by 19-year-old youngster who wore captain’s armband last night

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Arsenal under-21 manager Mehmet Ali has now been heaping praise on a ton of the club’s promising youngsters following a win over PSV.

Ali’s youth squad followed Mikel Arteta’s senior side to The Netherlands yesterday and enjoyed an impressive 3-1 win.

And with the likes of Ethan Nwaneri, Reuell Walters and Lino Sousa all with the first team, changes were afoot.

With Walters unavailable to captain the side, Charles Sagoe Jr took the armband, and certainly led by example.

Sagoe Jr provided all three assists in the game, two of which set up goals for Amario Cozier-Duberry, a familiar name to the Arsenal fan base.

And following the game, Mehmet Ali was delighted with the role Sagoe Jr played for Arsenal against PSV.

Speaking to the Arsenal website, Ali said: “We’re really pleased because as an academy we have three players who are on the bench for our first team this evening, which is great, and that’s what the job’s about.

“Reuell has led the team in this competition, he wasn’t available. Again, Charles is a player who does everything properly every single day, works hard and deserved to lead his team and he did it well.”

Mehmet Ali thought Charles Sagoe Jr stood big for Arsenal against PSV

Of course, it certainly bodes well for Arsenal that they have so many young, budding talents in their academy.

The challenge will be for any of those players to bridge the large gap between the two sides now.

It seems that Ethan Nwaneri will head out on loan next season according to reports, preparing the 16-year-old for senior football.

But for the likes of 19-year-old Sagoe Jr, fans may wonder if they’ve already missed the chance to make the step up.

That being said, Sagoe Jr did impress for Arsenal in the League Cup earlier this season, a rare chance for an academy talent.

It’s clear that the door definitely isn’t closed, but as Mikel Arteta’s side progresses, it’s harder to steal any minutes.

Of course, some fans are still a little frustrated that Arteta chose to take three players from Ali’s side only to not give them a single minute for Arsenal against PSV.

The Spaniard had his own rationale, but fans were disappointed nonetheless.

Although, they will have been pleased to see one of their Hale End graduates excelling on Europe’s biggest stage.