U21s preview: Barnet v Arsenal

Our under-21s kick-off their 2026/27 campaign with an EFL Trophy group stage tie against Barnet at The Hive on Tuesday night (7.45pm UK).

With pre-season in the books, we face the Bees in our first competitive game of the season, the first of three group matches against professional opposition in the competition.

David Horseman's side will be looking to start off on the right foot, as we did against Newport County in our first game in last season's competition, when Charles Sagoe Jr netted an 89th-minute winner in south Wales.

While most of our under-21s pre-season action has seen David Horseman's squad split across under-18s and first-team action, we came from behind to draw 1-1 with a strong Boreham Wood team in our only under-21s friendly of the summer, setting the tone for what promises to be an exciting season.

THE OPPOSITION

Having missed out on the League Two play-offs by just two points last season, Barnet have made a strong start to 2026/27 as they seek promotion to League One.

While they were beaten in their first game of the season at Cambridge United, the Bees did score first against the League One side before exiting the Carabao Cup with a 2-1 defeat.

It was a more positive story for the west London side on the opening weekend of the league season as they beat last season's play-off finalists Salford City 3-1 at The Hive.

The EFL Trophy was cruel to Barnet last season as, despite earning five points from their three group matches, they were eliminated after finishing third behind Cambridge and eventual winners Luton Town.

HOW TO FOLLOW

All EFL Trophy matches, including Tuesday's fixture, are broadcast on Sky Sports + in the UK. Supporters can tune in just before the 7.45pm (UK) kick-off time to watch the action live.

Updates are also available on our Academy X account, with a full match report and exclusive interviews with under-21s manager David Horseman and one of our young Gunners available after full-time on The Arsenal app and Arsenal.com, with highlights to follow shortly after.