Arsenal U-18 match postponed as team bus drives to Bournemouth instead of Brighton

A corner flag at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in August 2023.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Arsenal's Under-18 side were unable to play their match against Brighton on Saturday after an extraordinary mix-up saw the team bus travel to Bournemouth instead.

The young Gunners, who are coached by the club's former midfielder Jack Wilshere, ended up 97 miles away by road along the south coast following the confusion.

Brighton's game against Arsenal was due to kick off at midday at the AMEX Football Centre and with no sign of the north Londonders, the start was initially pushed back by half an hour.

But it soon became clear that the Gunners would not be arriving any time soon and the match was eventually called off altogether.

Brighton are 11th in the Under-18s league, with just one win from their eight matches so far this season.

The Seagulls beat Arsenal in the corresponding fixture last season, but are six points and five places behind the Gunners this term.

No new date has been set for the fixture as yet.

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Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.