Exeter City suffered a fourth successive defeat as they crashed out of the EFL Trophy with a game to spare. City were put to the sword in the second half at St James Park by Arsenal U21s who ran out 5-0 winners.
The Grecians had the better of the first half, but Bradley Ibrahim rattled the crossbar for the Gunners just before the break. James Scott then had a strike ruled out for offside.
Charles Sagoe Jr put Arsenal ahead on the hour, poking home from close range after a well-worked move. Seb Ferdinand and then Khayon Edwards made it three late on.
Jack Henry-Francis and then Ferdinand with a second grabbed goals in stoppage-time to add gloss to the performance and ensure the youngsters came away with the points and booked their spot in the knockout stages, as once again, City capitulated in the latter stages, just as they did when losing 9-0 to Reading.
It is now four losses in a row for City, and six of the last seven, only that Carabao Cup win over Luton Town interrupting the run. It is 14 goals in two group games conceded, and in that last seven games, City have scored just twice, conceding 24.
Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell made six changes from the side who were beaten 1-0 at home by Barnsley on Saturday. In came Shaun MacDonald in goal for a debut, while Kyle Taylor, Jake Richards, Mitch Beardmore, Sonny Cox and Ed James, recalled from a loan spell at Weston-super-Mare also started. Arsenal meanwhile named Euro 2016 winner Cedric Soares in their starting eleven.
City started the brighter of the two with Scott twice having efforts blocked inside the first 60 seconds, and then having been played through by Cox, scuffed the effort wide. Ayden Heaven for Arsenal blazed over from 25 yards when the chance opened for him.
Exeter were on top, creating most of the chances, with Taylor testing Ovie Ejeheri from a narrow angle, and then from the resulting corner, the ball broke to Scott, and his effort deflected just over the bar. But on the break, the Gunners found themselves with a golden chance. The midfield seemed to just disappear and Bradley Ibrahim had acres of space to run into. He picked out Soares on the right, he drove into the box, but MacDonald was equal to the effort.
Arsenal on 34 minutes got even closer. After some patient build-up, Ibrahim was given space on the left of the box to cut inside. His shot was blocked by Harry Kite, but looped off him into the air. It beat MacDonald who was rooted to the ground, but the strike rattled the crossbar and bounced to safety.
In the 40th minute, City had the ball in the back of the net, only to see the offside flag rule it out. Taylor strode forward and picked out Beardmore in a wide area. He fizzed in a low first time cross, Scott was unmarked and tapped into the empty net, only for the assistant referee to put the flag up and rule it out. It looked tight.
Caldwell took off Pierce Sweeney at the break, skipper Will Aimson replacing him. But Arsenal nearly went ahead when Jack Henry-Francis charged forward. The youngster cut inside and took aim, but MacDonald stuck on a leg to keep the near post strike out. Jimi Gower then dragged wide from the edge of the box.
But on the hour, the Premier League side took the lead. The ball was worked nicely to Gower on the left hand side. He fizzed in a low cross which evaded the City defenders, and Sagoe Jr with an outstretched leg poked the ball home from four yards to give them the lead. It was the first senior goal for the 19-year-old.
Arsenal then had to replace goalkeeper Ovie Ejeheri who went down injured. Caldwell meanwhile threw on Pedro Borges and Alfie Cunningham for Cox and Jack Aitchison. Tom Dean and Max Edgecombe then replaced Harry Kite and Richards.
City were looking short of ideas and struggling to test the Arsenal backline, and on 80 minutes, any chance of them getting anything out of the game disappeared.
It should have been stopped though. Tom Dean had the chance to bring down an Arsenal man, but didn’t, and that allowed the move to create the goal. The ball was spread to Ferdinand on the right hand side of the box, he drilled in the low finish, which perhaps MacDonald should have kept out, but he didn’t, and it was 2-0.
Moments later, it was three. Gower again had acres of space in midfield to run forward into. He spread the ball out to Ferdinand on the right, he pulled the ball back across the face of goal, and Edwards was left unmarked and he tapped home to make it 3-0.
