U21s: Arsenal 5-2 Aston Villa

Aston Villa fell to a first Premier League 2 defeat in four on Sunday afternoon, losing 5-2 to a strong Arsenal side.

Cole Brannigan put Villa’s Under-21s ahead just five minutes into the encounter, but goals from Maalik Hashi and Andre Harriman-Annous quickly swung the game back in Arsenal’s favour.

Harriman-Annous added his second three minutes into the second period to take the game away from the Villans, with Max Downman and Evan Mooney completing their victory with goals either side of a sweet strike from Jack McGrath.

The Gunners named a strong side at Boreham Wood’s Mangata Developments Stadium, with Dowman and Marli Salmon both starting alongside William Saliba, who stepped up his injury rehabilitation.

It was the Villans, however, who began the stronger in Hertfordshire, taking the lead just five minutes in when Alfie Lynskey burst through the middle and fed Brannigan, who kept his cool to finish one on one and break the deadlock.

Arsenal looked for a response right away, and were the stronger team for much of the opening period, with Sam Lewis brave and alert to deny Harriman-Annous an equaliser a little over 10 minutes later.

And, despite Villa showing signs of threat in transition, by the half-hour mark, the hosts had turned the tie on its head to lead 2-1.

First, midway through the opening period, enterprising work from Theo Julienne saw him wriggle free from the visiting defence inside the area and find Hashi, who finished well to restore parity.

Then, just four minutes later, Dowman picked out Marcel Washington who sent a ball into the box for Harriman-Annous to turn home, giving the North London outfit the lead at the break.

And, just three minutes into the second period, Arsenal found a crucial third goal, when Harriman-Annous robbed Woody Burgess of possession on the halfway line, before racing half of the field down the left-hand side into the area, finishing confidently past Lewis.

With two goals now needed to salvage anything from the game, the Villans were back on the offensive. A few minutes after Arsenal’s third, Lynskey cut inside into the box and forced Jack Porter into a decent stop.

The home ‘keeper had to be alert again moments later to tip Lynskey’s looping free-kick over, but the Gunners were a constant threat, James Scanlon’s fierce effort rattling the crossbar from an angle as the hour mark approached.

McGrath and Markie Meade were introduced for the Villans just after the hour, as Shan and his players went in search of a route back into the game.

But Villa struggled to match Arsenal’s pace and intensity for large parts of the game, and their victory was sealed 12 minutes from time when Dowman was fed on the edge of the area, turning and firing an effort into the far corner with his left foot.

McGrath did pull a goal back four minutes from time for the visitors, firing home a powerful effort from distance after his free-kick was blocked by the wall, but it proved too little, too late for the visitors as substitute Mooney added a fifth for the home side in stoppage time.