Next Up: Exeter City vs Arsenal U21 – EFL Trophy

City’s recent downturn in form continued with a 1-0 defeat in a hard-fought contest with high-flying Barnsley, and attention turns on Tuesday to a competition where City will hope to right a few wrongs from their first group match. The 0-9 humiliation by Reading saw a depleted City field a very youthful side, and it’s likely that several senior players will again be rested on Tuesday night although with next Saturday’s fixture postponed due to international call-ups, Gary Caldwell may instead use Tuesday’s fixture as an opportunity to try to recapture some form with some very tricky fixtures still to come in October.

Arsenal’s youngsters go into Tuesday’s fixture currently fourth in the Premier League 2 table, while they managed a 2-2 draw at Swindon in their first EFL Trophy tie of the season, winning 5-4 on penalties to clinch the extra point. There were three players with first team experience in their side that night – goalkeeper Karl Hein and outfield players Ethan Nwaneri and Charles Sagoe Jr.

Arsenal are one of the few teams City have never played in a competitive fixture – although this won’t count towards that, unlike another first time opponent at the end of October when Middlesbrough make the trip.

The match officials for this game will be:-

Referee: Ed Duckworth
Assistant Referees: Mark Derrien and Ross Murphy
Fourth Official : Samuel Fudge

Edward Duckworth was promoted to the EFL list this season and this will be his first game in charge of Exeter City.

Pre-match interview with Jake Richards