Arsenal U19 captain received a red card: how it affected the match.

Dismissal of Arsenal captain in UEFA Youth League match

According to The Sun: Midfielder of the youth team Arsenal, Louis Coply received a red card in the UEFA Youth League match against Olympiacos. The incident occurred just 15 minutes after the match began at Boreham Wood Stadium.

The team captain was sent off for a harsh tackle on Argyrios Liatsikouris, a decision made by Italian referee Matteo Marchena.

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"Oh no. Italian referee Matteo Marceno presents Arsenal captain Louis Coply with a straight red card for a foul on Olympiacos player No. 6 Argyrios Liatsikouris just 15 minutes in," noted a journalist on Twitter.

Coply, who signed a professional contract with the club in July, had no grounds for complaint about the referee's decision which significantly affected the course of the game.

Another midfielder, Harrison Dudziak, took over as captain instead of Coply, but Arsenal could not cope with the situation and conceded two goals in the first half.

Goals were scored by Ethan Cortez and Christos Filis, and Olympiacos appeared more motivated in this game. In the second half, despite being outnumbered, Arsenal managed to improve their performance.

In the 83rd minute, substitute for Arsenal Josh Ogunnaike was able to reduce the deficit. He almost equalized just seconds before the end of the match, but his shot was stopped.

Despite all attempts to come back, the hosts lost 2-1 at Meadow Park.

The match was watched by former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, who previously worked in the club's youth department.

Arsenal started the UEFA Youth League campaign with a 3-1 defeat against Athletic Bilbao and currently ranks 28th in the table, having no points from two matches.

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Thus, Arsenal continues its unsuccessful streak in the UEFA Youth League, where it has yet to earn points. The dismissal of the captain added problems to an already difficult situation for the team, which must significantly improve its position in the upcoming matches if it hopes to advance from the group.