Arsenal’s senior squad is currently on a remarkable journey, leading both the Premier League and the Champions League with Mikel Arteta at the helm. Their performance is nothing short of impressive.

However, a short stroll across the training grounds at London Colney reveals a starkly different scenario. The disparity between the success of the first team and the troubling form of the academy is becoming increasingly apparent.

The Under-19s recently ended a 16-match winless run for the club’s youth levels by defeating Bayern Munich 4-2 in the UEFA Youth League. This victory was a much-needed boost for the Under-18s, Under-19s, and Under-21s.

However, success at the academy level remains elusive. Despite their talent, the Under-19s are languishing in 30th place out of 36 in the Youth League, the junior equivalent of the Champions League, and face near-certain elimination from the tournament.

Looking ahead, they must secure a victory against Club Bruges in their next match in two weeks and drastically improve their goal difference by 11 to qualify for the top 22 and progress further.

Arsenal academy star Max Dowman, who scored a magical solo goal against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Youth League on Wednesday, has been a success story from the academy

Myles Lewis-Skelly, 19, also came through the Gunners academy and burst on to the scene last season, rising all the way up into the England senior squad

This situation is troubling for a club renowned for its academy legacy, having produced stars like Tony Adams, Ashley Cole, and Jack Wilshere. While all three academy squads attempt to emulate the first team’s strategic approach—emphasizing a high defensive line, proactive pressing, and full-backs venturing into midfield—there seems to be a growing disconnect between the intended strategy and its execution.

Inconsistent pressing has been a major issue. Arsenal’s press often starts with good intentions from the striker or No 10, but the second line is late arriving to help out. Opponents are then consistently playing through the first wave and exploiting the space in the midfield. 

This has led to pressure on the back four – and some of the defenders have been unable to cope with the physicality of their opponents.

This problem is paired with the full backs, who are encouraged to invert into midfield when the team is in possession – just like Arteta’s side. But senior players know exactly when to invert, while those in the youth setup can move too early and be caught out.

In the second half of their 4-3 loss against Atletico Madrid last month, the Under 19s were under the cosh each time the visitors reached midfield. Atletico were able to cut through the middle quite easily after breaching that first line.

In Wednesday’s match against Bayern, it was a similar story in the first half. Thankfully Dowman came to the rescure with two goals, and his glorious solo effort in stoppage time to seal the win went viral on social media.

Sources close to the academy all point to a repeated theme of physicality. Arsenal’s youth sides play with technical assurance, but opponents are overpowering them too easily. 

Academy coach David Horseman bluntly told the club’s website: ‘The goals we’re giving away at the moment are so soft, I think it’s going to be a struggle to win games. But that doesn’t mean you can’t produce players.’

Ethan Nwaneri is another Arsenal academy product and holds the record for being the youngest Premier League player 

His younger brother Emerson is in the academy and there are high hopes for his future 

Horseman’s comment about ‘soft goals’ is a diplomatic way of saying defenders are not coping physically or being aggressive enough in duels. Goals are coming from second balls or crosses where Arsenal are failing to win headers. This was evident in the 5-1 defeat by Slavia Prague, the Czech team consistently winning their battles and scoring twice from set-pieces. 

The disconnect between results and development lies at the heart of Arsenal’s youth strategy. The club has long prioritised individual progression over age-group trophies. For them, playing in the style of the men’s team is more important than results.

But even within that philosophy, a run this barren invites scrutiny – and soft goals signal more than bad luck. Arsenal have doubled down on producing technical midfielders at age-group level, which can lead to a lack of strength in the team. 

A drive for more defensive-minded young players would help. So would exposure to senior football.

Looking at some of the Gunners’ European opponents, their youth sides play against men regularly. Take Olympiacos, for example, whose reserve side are in the Greek second tier. That exposure for their best young players is priceless when it comes to development and physical readiness.

Part of the internal assessment at Arsenal is that the academy is encouraged to accelerate the development of the club’s best players, Nwaneri and Dowman recent examples of prospects who were quickly moved into older age groups, then the first team. Dowman made his debut for the Under 21s aged just 14.

It benefits their long-term prospects, yes, but it can hollow out the squads they leave behind. One source tells Daily Mail Sport: ‘If you look at Chido Obi (now at Manchester United), Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly, they are first-team footballers. That’s what this is about: creating one or two from the current batch who can then make that transition to the men’s game. The rest could well be released in the end, but that’s academy football for you.’   

It can be argued that, in the long run, this produces better Arsenal players. With their Youth League campaign having already gone awry, Horseman selected a squad for Bayern featuring six schoolboys, including Angelinou Pedro, 15, and 13-year-old Luis Munoz, the youngest player in the history of the competition when he came off the bench. He was born in December 2011, three months after Arteta joined the club as a player.

The trade-off, however, is becoming increasingly visible in the league tables. None of this casts doubt on the youth setup’s ability to produce talent – the flow of prospects into senior football remains healthy.

Angelinou Pedro, 15, was in the Arsenal side that played against Bayern Munich in midweek 

‘The goals we’re giving away at the moment are so soft, I think it’s going to be a struggle to win games,’ said Arsenal academy coach David Horseman recently 

In fact, the Gunners believe their current Under 16s crop at Hale End is one of the most gifted in recent years. It is the cohort featuring Emerson Nwaneri – brother of Ethan – along with Pedro and Kyran Thompson, a trio who have already drawn attention. Centre back Pedro started for the Under 18s in last weekend’s 3-3 draw with Norwich.

More broadly, the academy has also been a vehicle to make money which can then be reinvested into the first-team squad and keep the club in line with the Premier League’s financial rules. In the summer of 2024, Arsenal sold graduates Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah for fees of £34million and £30m respectively.

But Arsenal now must decide whether the gap between first team and academy results is a natural product of the development cycle or a hint at the need to address such shortcomings.

The pressure for the academy to continue nurturing gems like Saka, Dowman and Nwaneri for the first team will continue, and Arsenal’s pathway remains rich with promise. They will keep producing stars. The question is whether the academy can tighten its structure quickly enough to ensure the results match its reputation.