U18s preview: Reading v Arsenal

Our young Gunners will look to bounce back from their recent defeat when they travel to Reading in the U18 Premier League South on Wednesday.

The match will take place at Bearwood Park Training Facility, with kick-off scheduled for 11.30am (UK time).

It's been a tough campaign for Adam Birchall's side, who have struggled to put a winning run together since the turn of the year. Last time out, we were beaten 4-0 on the road to league leaders Chelsea, which has us currently sitting in 11th place with 25 points.

THE OPPOSITION

The Royals' best form came earlier in the season, when they went unbeaten in October, before scoring five against West Bromwich Albion and Burnley the following month. However, since the turn of the year, they have won just two league games, again against the Baggies and West Ham United.

They were defeated 3-1 by Southampton on Saturday, which puts them in 13th place on 22 points.

The Berkshire side also exited the U18 Premier League Cup in the initial stage, after finishing as runners-up in Group H behind Tottenham Hotspur.

We last faced Reading in April 2025, when a rampant Max Dowman scored all the goals in a 4-0 rout at Sobha Reality Training Centre.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Kick-off is at 11.30am (UK time). Live updates will be available on our academy's official X account, with a full match report on The Arsenal app and Arsenal.com shortly after the final whistle.

Post-match, supporters can catch interviews and highlights of all the key action from Bearwood Park Training Facility.