- Albion beaten 2-0 by Arsenal
- Haydon Roberts (own goal) and Matthew Smith on target for the Gunners
- Jayden Onen comes close in the first half
- The Seagulls are next in action against Norwich City
Brighton & Hove Albion under-18s were beaten 2-0 by Arsenal at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre.
A Haydon Roberts own goal and Matthew Smith’s late penalty were enough for the Gunners to leave the south coast with all three points.
Arsenal created the first chance of the game when Jordan McEneff picked out Yunus Musah inside the box, who rattled the crossbar with a fierce left-footed strike.
Albion made inroads into the Arsenal half and worked their first opening through Jordan Onen, who forced Gunners keeper Arthur Okonkow into a low right-handed save.
Seagulls shot-stopper Roco Rees was called into action when he denied Flo Balogun from close range, before Tyrese John-Hiles saw his shot deflected behind for a corner.
But the visitors took the lead courtesy of a Haydon Roberts own goal, as the defender inadvertently bundled the ball into the net after Balogun’s initial strike cannoned off the post.
The Gunners scored their second from the penalty spot with three minutes remaining, as Mathew
Weaire was penalised for a foul inside the box and Mathew Smith scored the resulting spot-kick to make the final score 2-0.
ALBION: Rees; Clark-Eden, Weaire, Roberts; Packham, Vukoje, Shihab, Spong, Tanimowo; Cashman, Onen.
SUBS NOT USED: Bentley (GK), Everitt.