'Big tackles and interceptions' - Nigerian midfielder earns praise from Arsenal coach after goal v Spurs U18s

Arsenal coach Adam Birchall has singled out London-born Nigerian midfielder Ife Ibrahim for praise following his all-round display during the U18 Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday afternoon.

In their final home outing of the season, the Gunners battled to a thrilling 4–4 draw against their north London rivals, with Ibrahim netting his first competitive goal at U18 level.

The former England U15 international curled a superb strike into the far corner to put Arsenal 3–1 up in the 28th minute, having earlier set up Max Dowman's equaliser in the eighth minute.

Adam Birchall, who highlighted the midfielder's continued growth, also praised Ibrahim’s increasing influence off the ball.

Ibrahim's goal and assist highlight a player growing in confidence and intent and Birchall is convinced he's progressing in the right direction.

Speaking to Arsenal's official website after the north London derby, Birchall stated: "It’s nice that you bring him up! You can see with the ball he maintains possession really well. 

"He’s starting to improve his high-value passing, he’s more of a threat playing forward, which has been really good to see.

"The last two or three weeks we’ve seen some big tackles from him, as well as interceptions and all the stuff he usually does, so long way to go, but at the moment his intentions are putting him in the right direction to get better and that’s the important thing."

Ibrahim, who can also be deployed at fullback, joined Arsenal in 2016 and signed a scholarship deal with his boyhood club in the summer of 2024.

This season, the 17-year-old made his debuts in the FA Youth Cup and UEFA Youth League.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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