U21 PL CUP REPORT: ARSENAL 2-3 BURNLEY

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Clarets round off campaign with victory away at group winners Arsenal

2023-01-31T21:00:00.000Z

U21 PL CUP REPORT: ARSENAL 2-3 BURNLEY

Clarets round off campaign with victory away at group winners Arsenal

2023-01-31T21:00:00.000Z

Clarets round off campaign with victory away at group winners Arsenal

Burnley’s U21 side earned three points away against Arsenal with a 3-2 win in the last of their six Premier League Cup group stage games, exiting the competition on a high.

Goals from forwards Joe Westley and Marcel Lewis sent the Clarets in level at the break, with full-back Brad Grant netting the winner early on in the second half.

Westley was one of a number of younger members in the squad for the trip to Meadow Park as he spearheaded the attack.

Fresh from an appearance on the first-team bench last weekend, 17-year-old Charlie Casper also started against the Gunners while Dan Sassi made his return from a lengthy injury, playing for the first time since October.

First Half

Despite being unable to qualify for the knockout rounds of the competition, Burnley came out the blocks quick in Hertfordshire and were ahead within the opening three minutes through Westley. The frontman tapped home a low cross from captain Benn Ward after a corner was recycled.

Six minutes later however, the hosts equalised through Josh Robinson who poked home from a few yards out when a free-kick delivery fell to him.

U21 PL CUP REPORT: ARSENAL 2-3 BURNLEY - Image 1

George Lewis then saw a shot blocked behind as Arsenal looked to hit the front foot, while Marcel Lewis’ header went wide at the other end just before the half-our mark.

The Gunners would take the lead though through captain Catalin Cirjan who found space in the box to fire home on 37 minutes.

Jez Davies and Grant both came close for the Clarets before a flurry of set-pieces dealt with as chances for Westley, Ward and Lewis passed without reward.

Lewis did however level things up on the stroke of half time in spectacular fashion, lobbing goalkeeper James Hillson from in the region of 35 yards out with an inch-perfect finish.

Second Half

Just as they had done in the first half, Burnley came out the brighter at the restart with Lewis seeing an effort kept out by Hillson almost immediately.

Tucker and Ward also both stung Hillson’s palms before Grant netted what turned out to be the winner on 51 minutes. A corner was whipped in, and when Westley’s header came off the crossbar, the full-back was there at the back post to turn in.

Casper had to hold a low strike from Omari Benjamin soon after, and also denied the same man on the hour-mark at the rebound after Cirjan had struck the post.

Both Seb Thompson and Ne-Jai Tucker went close at the other end, while youngster Casper kept hold of Mauro Bandeira’s effort.

Towards the end of the contest, Hillson had to be replaced through injury and Lewis tested replacement Noah Cooper with a rasping free-kick. The same man sent a snapshot wide deep into time added on, with it ending 3-2 to the Clarets.

The U21s are now next in action at the Burnley Training Centre on Tuesday 7th February when they host Blackpool in Lancashire Senior Cup Quarter-Final action (1pm KO).

Burnley: Casper, Williams, Sassi (Turner HT), Ward ©, Grant (McCullough ’66), Bauress, Davies, Tucker, Thompson, Westley (Ratchford ’78), M Lewis

Unused Subs: Moss, Deane

Arsenal: Hillson (Cooper ’86), Rosiak (Nichols ’69), Quamina, Robinson (Walters ’58), Jeffcott, Lewis-Skelly, Ferdinand, Bandeira, Benjamin (Oyetunde ’76), Cirjan (Gower ’69), G Lewis

Unused Subs: None

Goals: Westley, ‘3, Robinson, ‘9, Cirjan, ’37, M Lewis, ’45, Grant, ‘51