Chelsea lifted the FA Youth Cup for the fifth season on the spin on Monday, following a 4-0 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
The west Londoners’ recent dominance of the competition continued, as they built on a 3-1 first leg lead from last Friday’s tie.
And following on from their trip to Stamford Bridge for that tie, we invited youngsters from the Football Beyond Borders charity along to Monday’s decider at the Emirates Stadium.
With Arsenal going into the game with home advantage, it was all to play for so we asked two of the youngsters to pick out their key moments from the game.
Idris
With Chelsea taking a 3-1 lead into the game from the first leg, it was vitally important for Arsenal to make home advantage count if they were going to have any chance of lifting the trophy.
Although they dominated possession in the opening minutes of the game, they never really threatened Chelsea’s solid defence.
But the moment of the game for me was the second goal because it really killed the game and ended all hopes for the Arsenal fans and players.
Up to this point, Arsenal had played some good football but Chelsea had done exceptionally well to manage the game.
As soon as the second goal went in, I think the Arsenal fans and players were ready to admit defeat and the atmosphere became flat.
The player of the game for me was Conor Gallagher as he played a key role in the pitch by making tactical fouls and breaking up Arsenal attacks.
Emile Smith-Howe was the main threat for Arsenal and the scoreline may have been different if he had seen more of the ball during the game.
Vinoth
Arsenal did not have the best start to the game, going a goal down early in the first half. They showed a lot of resilience to keep playing and the fans continued to encourage them and cheer them on.
The moment of the match when this all changed for me was when Callum Hudson- Odoi scored.
This definitely killed Arsenal’s confidence and resilience. The goal had taken the life out of the Arsenal fans. Their heads sunk to the floor and the crowd was silenced.
All you could hear was the Chelsea fans celebrating and chanting, “Champione! Champione!”
That goal sealed the tie and confirmed a fifth consecutive FA Youth Cup win for Chelsea. That is why I think that the second goal was a major game-changer.
