There was a fiery start to this London derby, as Chelsea were determined to maintain our strong form in the Under-18 Premier League. We showed some promising moments early on, but it was our opponents who struck first, Louis Zecevic-John giving Arsenal the lead with a low strike.

However, the Blues responded quickly, equalising just three minutes later through a powerful strike from Ezenwata, who connected with a pinpoint cross from Yahya Idrissi.

Arsenal regained the lead before half-time when Josh Ogunnaike fired in a low shot, putting Chelsea behind at the break. They extended their advantage from a set-piece, with the last touch coming off an unfortunate Chelsea defender.

Despite the setback, we continued to fight and showed great perseverance. Ezenwata found the back of the net again, this time capitalising on a free-kick from Landon Emenalo. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to overturn Arsenal's lead, and the game ended in a narrow 3-2 defeat.

Intense action

The Blues started strong, showing early promise on home turf. The first real chance fell to attacking right-back Genesis Antwi, who charged down the wing and delivered a precise looping cutback. Young striker Ezenwata leaped high, meeting it with a thumping header, only to see his effort lift just over the bar.

Another opportunity followed soon after, agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock. Winger Idrissi, using his speed and tricky footwork, weaved into the penalty box and hammered a shot on target. Arsenal keeper Khari Ranson managed to punch it away, but Ezenwata stayed alert, pouncing on the rebound, but his right-footed effort was just wide of the near post.

Arsenal soon responded with a warning of their own. Brando Bailey-Joseph sprinted forward with intent and unleashed a venomous strike, only for the Blues to breathe a sigh of relief as the ball crashed off the post, denying him a spot on the scoresheet.

Back-and-forth action

That was the final warning before the breakthrough came. The Blues lost possession while playing out from the back under pressure, and the Gunners' Samuel Chapman spotted striker Zecevic-John. From the centre of the box, he picked his spot and drilled the ball into the bottom corner, putting Arsenal ahead.

However, their lead was short-lived. Chelsea hit back immediately with a statement of our own. Antwi sent a well-timed through-ball to Idrissi, who raced down the flank before cutting it back for Ezenwata. This time, the young striker made no mistake, rifling home a superb finish to bring the Blues level.

But just moments after the restart, Arsenal struck again with a team move. Max Dowman carried the ball forward and found Bailey-Joseph, who squared it to Zecevic-John. Instead of shooting, he laid it off to Ogunnaike, who slotted the ball past Jack Austin and into the bottom corner, restoring the visitors' lead.

Chelsea refused to go down without a fight. The intensity ramped up as both teams battled for control. Ezenwata nearly grabbed his brace with a close-range strike, but Chapman threw out a leg to divert it wide. Captain Ollie Harrison then fired a powerful volley that looked destined for goal, only for a red shirt to block the shot at the last moment.

True to the spirit of a London derby, the action swung back the other way. Dowman tried his luck with a fierce right-footed strike, but the Blues' shot-stopper reacted quickly, pushing the effort away to prevent Arsenal from extending their advantage. After an electrifying first half, Chelsea went into the break trailing 2-1, but with everything still to play for.

Tough challenge

After the restart, the intensity remained high and Chelsea were awarded a penalty early in the second half. Midfielder Reggie Walsh spotted Kavuma-McQueen in space and delivered a long, floating ball to the forward. Kavuma-McQueen surged forward, but as he approached the goal, Arsenal’s goalkeeper Ranson came off his line and collided with him, sending him to the ground.

The referee promptly pointed to the spot. Harrison stepped up to take the penalty, but his powerful low shot was well saved by the Arsenal keeper, denying us an equaliser.

Chelsea continued to press for a goal, with Idrissi proving to be a constant threat on the left side. He fizzed in several balls across the face of goal and Walsh connected with one, delivering a powerful strike, but it just flew over the bar.

at the other end, goalkeeper Austin made a vital save to keep the team in the game, denying Arsenal a chance to extend their lead. Dowman took a close-range shot, but Austin reacted quickly and kept the effort out with an impressive save.

Despite Chelsea's best efforts, Arsenal eventually increased their lead through a set-piece. A swinging corner landed to Zecevic-John, whose shot slammed against the post. In the midst of the scramble, Chelsea defender Olutayo Subuloye attempted to clear the ball but, under pressure from Arsenal attackers in a crowded six-yard box, it ended up in the back of the net. The scoreline shifted to 3-1, leaving Chelsea with an uphill battle.

Late drama

Chelsea, however, refused to give up and continued to fight. Under-18s head coach Hassan Sulaiman brought on Sol Gordon, who made an immediate impact. Gordon linked up well with Harry McGlinchey, who sent in a whipped cross. The forward got on the end of it, but his effort was pushed away by the Arsenal goalkeeper.

Despite the setback, Chelsea gained a boost of confidence and momentum. Midfielder Emenalo delivered a delicious free-kick from a promising position just outside the penalty box. Our No9 Ezenwata rose at the back post and powered a header past the keeper, bringing Chelsea closer with just minutes left to play.

Although Chelsea continued to apply pressure on Arsenal right to final whistle, it wasn’t enough to claim a late point. Although the team worked hard in a tight match, Chelsea’s six-game unbeaten league run came to an end.

What's next

Chelsea will return to Under-18 Premier League action this Saturday, hosting Crystal Palace at Cobham for an 11am kick-off. Supporters worldwide can watch the fixture live for free on the official Chelsea website and app.

The teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Jack Austin; Genesis Antwi (Joseph Wheeler-Henry h-t), Reggie Watson, Olutayo Subuloye, Calvin Diakite (Walter Nutter 84); Landon Emenalo, Ollie Harrison (c), Reggie Walsh (Sol Gordon 64); Yahya Idrissi (Harry McGlinchey 63), Chizaram Ezenwata, Ryan Kavuma-McQueen
Unused sub: Hudson Sands
Scorer: Ezenwata 28, 81
Booked: Watson 58, Harrison 66, Wheeler-Henry 74

Arsenal (4-3-3): Khari Ranson, Teshaun Murisa (Came'ron Harry Ismail 66), Josh Ogunnaike, Brayden Clarke, Sam Chapman, Ife Ibrahim, Brando Bailey-Joseph (Alex Marciniak 80), Louie Copley, Louis Zecevic-John (Daniel Oyetunde 80), Max Dowman (c), Dan Casey (Ceadach O’Neill 64)
Unused sub: Jack Porter
Scorers: Zecevic-John 25, Ogunnaike 29, Subuloye og 61
Booked: Copley 19, Ranson 49, Chapman 90+4