Arsenal under-19s head coach David Horseman took pride in his team’s fighting spirit, particularly in the second half, despite falling to a narrow 2-1 defeat against Olympiacos.

The young Gunners were reduced to ten men in the first half and soon found themselves a goal behind. Olympiacos doubled their lead before the break, but Josh Ogunnaike pulled one back late on to spark a strong finish that ultimately fell short.

Reflecting on the performance, Horseman admitted it was a game of mixed emotions:

“I said to the players straight after the match that you can’t give away goals like that at this level. Both goals we conceded were really poor, just individual mistakes, and they came at a time when we were starting to control the game. Once the red card happened, it shook us, and suddenly we were 2-0 down. At this level, that’s always going to be tough.

“But in the second half, I felt immense pride. It’s probably the best I’ve seen some of the players since I arrived. The wide players caused Olympiacos endless problems, and Kyran Thompson, who is still only an under-16,  linked play brilliantly in the pockets. In the end,...