Estonian goalkeeper Karl Jakob Hein was named Arsenal’s Under-21 Hero after conceding a crude goal in the dying minutes on Tuesday night. Hayne saved a crucial penalty in the Gunners’ EFL Trophy group stage match against Swindon Town. Arsenal’s second U-21 home league team, Swindon Town, will play in the group stages of this year’s EFL Trophy on Tuesday. The Gunners fell behind in the 6th minute with Rewell Waters heading the ball into his own net. However, they fell behind after just five minutes when England youth international left-back Reno Sosa equalized with a header from the left.
Karl Jakob Heine might want to forget Swindon’s second goal of the game. The Estonia No.1 lost his balance after receiving a back-pass from the edge of his own six-yard box and Tarik Uvakve was sent off. The Robbins forward slotted the ball past an Arsenal defender to put the hosts 2-1 up in the 34th minute. Arsenal looked to equalize after the break but Swindon fought hard in defense and got the ball over the line on several occasions.
Substitute Jimmy Gower eventually found a clean left-footed shot to level the scores at 2-2 in the 82nd minute. Arsenal had another chance to win in added time when Hayon Edwards almost capitalized on a shot by Swindon goalkeeper Lewis Ward but saw his effort fly over the bar. Penalties were left as the only option.
Hein made up for his first-half error by pushing Benn Ward’s shot onto the post after the first six penalty kicks were successfully converted. Hein’s save was key as Arsenal U-21s won 5-4 after all of the remaining penalties were converted.
The EFL Trophy is a cup competition open to all clubs in English football’s third and fourth divisions (EFL League One and EFL League Two). Since the 2016–17 season, sixteen U–21 teams from Premier League and Championship clubs have been permitted to compete.
If the scores are tied after 90 minutes of play in a group stage match, there is no extra time played; instead, the winner is determined by a penalty shootout. The winning team is then given two points instead of the customary three if they had won the tie in regular time.
During the group stage of this year’s competition, the Arsenal U-21s will also play Reading and Exeter City. .
