November 04, (THEWILL) – Arsenal’s Under-18 squad found themselves in an unfortunate situation on Saturday when their bus driver took a wrong turn, resulting in the postponement of their away match against Brighton and Hove Albion’s youth team.
The two clubs were scheduled to face off in the U18 English Premier League at Brighton’s AMEX Elite Performance Centre. However, a navigation error saw the Arsenal coach accidentally exit the M25 motorway prematurely, making it impossible for the team to arrive at the stadium in time for the noon kick-off.
According to reports, the Gunners’ bus driver had intended to take the proper exit to head towards Brighton. However, upon realising his mistake, it was too late to double back and make it to the match on time. Rumours that the squad ended up in Bournemouth rather than Brighton have been dismissed as inaccurate.
The postponement marked a disappointing start to the weekend for Arsenal’s U18s, who currently sit seventh in the League’s U18 southern section table. Manager Jack Wilshere and his young squad will be eager to move past this minor setback and refocus their efforts for their rearranged match against the Seagulls later this season.
While an inconvenient outcome for both clubs’ youth teams, the bus navigation error thankfully did not lead to any major issues. Brighton officials confirmed they understood the circumstances leading to the postponement. The two sides will now coordinate schedules to determine when the match can be replayed at a later date.
