Why Arsenal changed their mind about the Checkatrade Trophy

Arsenal Will Be Taking Part in the EFL Trophy

Arsenal Football club has accepted an invitation to take part in the EFL Trophy after rejecting the offer for two years. This will see their Under-21 side being joined by a quartet of other London-based Premier League clubs.

The Gunners have not taken advantage of invites over the past two seasons, but it is understood that discussions over the value the competition brings, which pits teams from Leagues One and Two against premier academies have been ongoing during this period.

Per Mertesacker Said Yes

Per Mertesacker, Manager of the Academy, who has received a youth side that has won the title of the Premier League 2 at the Under-23 level, and who’s Under-18s reached the FA Youth Cup Final, has chosen to greenlight Arsenal FC participation this season. He stated that management felt that it is important to provide their younger players with a range of experiences in order to hasten their development, and it was felt that entering the Trophy would present players with a unique set of challenges, and the chance to learn from strong club teams.

He added that, as punters who enjoy NZ sports betting are well aware of, many of the players that fall into this age group are fated to be loaned out early on in their careers. Mertesacker felt that this kind of competition could be a powerful link in terms of relationships between academy and first-team football players.

Borehamwood the Likeliest Option

It is not expected that any of the Arsenal FC home games throughout the run of this competition will be taking place at the Emirates Stadium, Borehamwood is probably were the Gunners will be playing. Premier League academies play all of their Group Stage games in the contest away from home, but may well be drawn as hosts later on.

What It Looked Like Last Season

Holders Lincoln Routed Chelsea’s Under-21s in the Semi-Final in the last Trophy, before beating Shrewsbury Town in front of 41 000 spectators at Wembley in April.

Danny Cowley, boss for Lincoln, stated that the contest brought about the club’s very first visit to Wembley in the entire length of the 134 years it has been in existence! He added that they had taken nearly 30 000 people to Wembley for the Final game, before gushing about what a wonderful experience it was for everyone with any associations with the club. He said it would stay in everyone’s memory for a long time.

The contest was initially greeted with quite a bit of scepticism, especially for its resolve to parachute in youth sides. Shaun Harvey, Chief Executive, however, has said that the messages being received from clubs, including Arsenal, is increasingly optimistic.

The Checkatrade Trophy will keep providing younger players, from teams which have been invited and EFL Clubs alike, with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to really experience what first-team football is like, said Harvey. He finished off by stating that he was very excited about the stars of the 2018/19 season emerging over the contest’s duration.