Arsenal climbed to the top of the Reserve South League table on Monday night with a 2-1 victory at Chelsea.

Neil Banfield’s young team made it three wins out of three in 2010 thanks to goals either side of half-time from Luke Freeman and Gilles Sunu. Banfield made an interesting tactical change for the game going with a 4-2-2 formation instead of the usual Arsenal 4-3-3 formation.

Chelsea had the best chance to take the lead on the 27th minute when Fabio Borini hit the crossbar from 20 yards with James Shea well beaten.

Then, six minutes before the break, Arsenal took the lead.An great run from Emmanuel-Thomas down the left win before he crossed for 17-year-old Luke Freeman to score his first Reserve-team goal.

Shortly after half-time Borini, who looked dangerous all night, hit the woodwork again after a run down the right.

Then with 15 minutes to go Arsenal got that all important second goal. Emmanuel-Thomas burst down the right to pick out Freeman. The striker in turn found Sunu and the Frenchman’s deflected shot beat Rhys Taylor in the Chelsea goal.

But Chelsea did not go quietly as Borini, once again causing trouble, and his low cross was tapped in by Nemanja Matic. But the young Gunners were able to hold on and secure all three points.

After the game Neil Banfield had these comments on the Gunners performance:

On the 2-1 win…

“I think both sides tried to play and both had chances. We took ours and we have come out victors. I was delighted with the way Jay Emmanuel-Thomas picked out Luke Freeman [for the first goal]. This team is always working as a team. If they see players in a better position they try and pick them out. We see a lot of goals like that with the first team.”

On a new phase of players coming through…

“They have done well for Steve Bould in the Under-18s and he said they warrant a chance. There have been a few opening because we put a few players out on loan because they need it for their development, and it opens it up for the next stage of young players at Arsenal.”

Match Highlights

Even with Jack Wilshere and Lukasz Fabianski in the team, Arsenal Reserves lost 2-1 to league leaders Aston Villa.

The Villa team included England international Stuart Downing as well as Fabian Delph and Nathan Delfouneso.

Sanchez Watt’s 31st-minute header had put the Gunners ahead but Villa scored twice in the last five minutes of the first half to take the points after Fran Merida was sent off.

All in all this was a tough loss for the young Gunners. The sending off was the turning point in the game and the lose leaves Arsenal 5 points behind Villa with a game in hand.

Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the Premier Reserve League South came to an end with a 2-0 defeat to Portsmouth at Underhill. Goals from Thomas Kilbey and Eugen Bopp sealed the Gunners’ fate in a game neither team was able to take control of.

Neil Banfield made three changes to the side that drew 2-2 with Wolves. Wojciech Szczesny, Ignasi Miquel and Emmanuel Frimpong all started, with Lukasz Fabianski, Luke Ayling and Samir Nasri dropping out.

For the visitors Antti Niemi, who has over 300 career first-team appearances to his name, started in goal for Pompey.

Portsmouth provided the first attack of the game when Bopp game forward on the left. His low cross was dangerous but Paris Cowan-Hall’s first touch let him down and Arsenal were able to clear.

The Gunners first attack of note came in the 10th minute when Francis Coquelin turned away from three Portsmouth players to set Neil Banfield’s side away. The referee saw the advantage after a late tackle on the midfielder, allowing Craig Eastmond to release Gilles Sunu to charge forward on the left. The ball was returned to Eastmond on the edge of the area but his shot was charged down by Kilbey.

Arsenal’s best chance of the half came seven minutes later. Frimpong played a long cross-field pass to Sunu, who worked his way into the area but angled his shot just wide of the far post.

Just a minute later, Portsmouth were ahead. Bopp whipped in a deep free-kick from the left and Kilbey rose to head the ball across goal and beyond Szczesny.

Shortly afterwards Sunu showed his threat again. Picked out by Eastmond, the Frenchman dribbled into the box and aimed a pass into the six-yard box from the byline. However, the ball was cleared away by Michael Williamson before it could reach a red shirt.

The first half ended with a cagey 15 minutes. Neither side could get a firm grip on the game and failed to warm the opposition keeper on a cold night at Barnet.

Early in the second half a succession of corners proved fruitless for Arsenal and in the 54th minute a Kerrea Gilbert cross was headed away from Sunu as he looked to fire home an equaliser.

Ten minutes later Watt broke with pace down the right and threaded the ball through to Sunu. The ever-present striker escaped the Portsmouth backline but drilled his shot straight at Niemi.

Soon after the striker was presented with another opportunity but his prod at a Randall cross ricocheted clear off a Portsmouth defender before a dangerous cross from Gilbert evaded everybody, despite a couple of desperate lunges into the air.

With less than 15 minutes to play Portsmouth got their second when Du Chattelier set Cowan-Hall free on the right and he fired a shot at Szczesny from 10 yards. The Polish keeper made the initial save but the ball fell to Bopp 20-yards out. The Portsmouth midfielder looked up and placed his shot into the bottom corner, leaving Szczesny scrambling and Arsenal heading for their first defeat of the season.

The young Gunners next match is away to West Ham next week.

Arsenal first-team stars Samir Nasri and Lukasz Fabianski returned from injury as Arsenal Reserves drew with Wolves tonight.

Nasri broke his leg on the opening day of Arsenal’s pre-season training camp in July while Fabianski had knee surgery in August.

Even with both first-team players in the line-up Arsenal saw its unblemished record in the Reserve League end as the Gunners drew with Wolves.

Arsenal reserves coach Banfield made four changes from the side that beat Chelsea last time out but all eyes were on Fabianski and especially Nasri. The French star was deployed in a midfield three – a clue to how Arsène Wenger may use him in the first team – and was as neat and tidy as ever.

A rather more old-fashioned player dominated the opening exchanges though as Wolves’ centre forward Chris Iwelumo looked to unsettle the Arsenal back four with his height and power.

Indeed Wolves had the better of the early chances with David Davies testing Fabianski with a free-kick and Spearman nodding Scott Malone’s free-kick just past the post. The centre back had time to measure a volley moments later but got it all wrong from 10 yards.

Slowly, Arsenal found their rhythm and on 16 minutes they had their first real sight of goal. Craig Eastmond sparked a counter-attack with a well-timed interception on the edge of his own area. Mark Randall picked out Sanchez Watt and he fed Francis Coquelin before racing into the box for a return pass. When it came Watt swivelled well but smashed his shot over the bar.

It showed what Arsenal were capable of and, five minutes later, they got it right. Coquelin, a ball of energy in midfield, turned away from his marker and found Watt with his back to goal. The striker laid off for Nasri and he cracked a first-time pass into the path of Sunu’s intelligent run. The finish was as crisp as the move itself.

Chances continued to flow at both ends. Fabianski plunged to his right to deny Iwelumo’s clipped shot as Wolves hit back then Nasri almost doubled Arsenal’s advantage with a fierce strike but a deflection took the sting out of his shot.

When Wolves levelled, it was no surprise that it came from a set-piece. Mallone impressed with his dead-ball delivery all night and Spearman did what he had threatened to do earlier in the half, nodding the left-back’s right-wing centre past Fabianski. It was the first goal Arsenal had conceded in the Reserve League this season.

Randall almost embarrassed Carl Ikeme, the Pole’s opposite number, two minutes after the break when his fizzing free-kick ricocheted off the Wolves keeper and almost crept in.

Buoyed by their reprieve, the hosts took the lead. It was all Hemmings’ own work as he collected the ball 30 yards out and lashed a left-foot effort beyond Fabianski’s reach.

Arsenal responded seconds later with the move of the match. Coquelin and Kerrea Gilbert exchanged passes on the right and the latter raced into the box before pulling the ball back for Watt. He casually side-stepped a defender and, although Ikeme parried the shot, he couldn’t stop it crossing the line.

The game was there for the taking and both sides went for a winner. Randall curled a trademark chip over the bar from 30 yards and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing went even closer at the other end after a corner dropped at his feet.

By now Nasri was off after 58 invaluable minutes of action and on came Emmanuel Frimpong to add some midfield muscle.

His fellow substitute Rhys Murphy skewed a shot wide and then saw another effort blocked after two astute passes from Watt. But no one came closer to a winner than Sunu. He fired a thunderous effort towards the top corner in stoppage time but Ikeme flew to his left to tip the ball to safety.

It was tough on Sunu but probably fair on Wolves. Neither team deserved to lose this one.

Arsenal Reserves continued their unbeaten start to the season with a 2-0 win over London rivals Chelsea at Underhill on Monday. Craig Eastmond and Sanchez Watt scored the goals in another convincing display from Neil Banfield’s young Gunners.

Arsenal made four changes with James Shea,Armand Traore, Francis Coquelin and most notably Mikael Silvestre all coming in. Wojciech Szczesny, Ignasi Miquel, Roarie Deacon and Phillipe Senderos made way. Playing for Chelsea was England international Joe Cole who was looking to improve his match fitness following a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee-ligament injury.

Arsenal dominated possession early on but only had a string of half-chances to show for it. With 14 minutes played Watt turned his defender and then beat Chelsea keeper Ross Turnbull to the ball. With the net empty Watt knocked the ball toKerrea Gilbert who tried his luck from a tight angle. The right-back’s shot curled at the right moment but sailed marginally over the crossbar.

Eastmond broke the deadlock 22 minutes in, capping off a fine Arsenal move. Randall played the ball to a central Watt who knocked the ball left for Gilles Sunu. The French forward’s cross found its way through to Eastmond who tapped home at the near post.

Chelsea could have been level four minutes later after Fabio Borini won a free-kick 25 yards out. Defender Jeffrey Bruma came forward to take it and would have been disappointed to see his placed effort hit the top of the post.

With 10 minutes of the first-half remaining Watt was presented with a golden opportunity to double Arsenal’s lead. Sunu threaded through to Traore who sent a low cross into the area. Watt beat his man to the ball but fired his shot over the bar.

Chelsea introduced Milan Lalkovic at half-time with Daniel Philliskirk making way but it was Arsenal left-back Traore who had the first chance of note in the second-half, his long-range drive crashing just wide of Turnbull’s goal.

With 66 minutes played Arsenal’s lead was doubled. Barazite intercepted a cross-field ball on the right and drove forward. Cutting inside he passed the ball forward to Watt who sent the ball through the legs of Turnbull and into the back of the net.

With the win Arsenal have a 100% record this season with four wins in four games.