Derby County Under-21s were edged out 1-0 by Arsenal Under-21s in Premier League 2 at the Proctor Cars Stadium on Friday night.

Osman Kamara scored the only goal of the game in the 72nd minute to give Arsenal the win in a competitive match-up in Matlock.

The Under-21s still await their first league win of the 2025/26 Premier League 2 season, and will be looking to get points on the board when they head to face Southampton at St. Mary’s Stadium on Friday 3rd October (7pm kick-off) in their next outing.

Justin Oguntolu had the first clear chance of the game after 20 minutes, when Cruz Allen broke with the ball on the counter from an Arsenal corner. The midfielder laid the ball off to Oguntolu who, through some tidy footwork, made space for a left-footed shot which flew just to the wrong side of the post.

Derby defender Rio Canoville blocked Arsenal attacker Seb Ferdinand’s effort in the 24th minute, as the striker attempted to hit the ball across the face of the goal after it fell to his feet in the box following a corner kick.

Once again, Danny Maye’s side created the danger on the counter-attack after Jamie Wähling won the ball back inside the defensive half in the 35th minute and passed to Allen, who drove towards goal before firing centimetres wide of the post when he unleashed a low strike from the edge of the penalty box.

Charles Sagoe Jr went close for the Gunners in the 62nd minute after a long punt up field saw him in behind the Derby defence, but an excellent defensive recovery from Luca Crolla put in a sliding challenge that unsettled the attacker, who shot high and wide.

The visitors took their lead 10 minutes later, as Sagoe Jr found Kamara with a low cross into the penalty area. The Arsenal man’s initial effort on goal was blocked, but he tucked away the follow-up to give the visitors the win.

Team News

Derby County Under-21s: Thompson (GK), Perry (Crolla 27), Turley, Wähling, Canoville, Osayande, Wheeldon, Allen, Oguntolu (Wilson 77), Eames, Osong (Richards 58).

Unused Substitutes: Price (GK), Tola.

Post-Match Reaction

“There were some really positive signs with the performance again tonight,” said Senior Professional Development Coach Danny Maye following the game.

“We just didn’t get the result we wanted. We pressed and defended well in the first half and created some good moments on the counter when winning the ball from deep areas. A lot of our possession was controlled, and we dealt well with their press.

“In the second half, we came out bright and pressed them very well again. This allowed us to control more of the game with the ball. We didn’t show enough quality when we got into really good positions with the cross or finish.

“We are disappointed to lose the game late, but the players should be pleased with their efforts.

"It was also great to give another player under the age of 17 some good minutes; Luca Crolla had a good performance after coming on in the first half and looked comfortable."