Arsenal U21 coach reveals the secret behind Nwaneri and Cozier-Duberry success this season

While much of the focus will be on the Arsenal men's first team's quest to win a first Premier League title in 20 years this weekend, the Arsenal Under-21s have the chance to do something pretty special too when they host Chelsea in the Premier League 2 play-off quarter-final at Meadow Park.

The revamped competition now means that the top 16 teams at the end of a league season featuring the 26 category one academies in England are put into a series of one off knockout matches. Arsenal overcame Manchester United in the last round with a thrilling 6-2 victory and will be looking to overcome Chelsea and book their place in the semi-finals.

The game is poised to be a closely fought affair. Chelsea's Under-21s finished above Arsenal on goal difference in the regular PL2 season, but the last meeting between the two ended in an exciting 4-2 victory for the Gunners. Under-21s boss Mehmet Ali is expecting a similarly tricky test on Saturday.

“We’re expecting a tough game,” he said. “We’ve obviously done a lot of work on them throughout the week. They’re a good side, they’ve recruited quite a few front half players that will cause any team some problems, but we’re ready for it. We’re looking forward to it and it’s really a good opportunity for our lads to see where we’ve been throughout the season and see if we can improve and get a win against them in a play-off game. I’m looking forward to it but it will be a tough challenge.”

While winning and losing are not necessarily what defines success at this level, progression to the semi-finals would mark an impressive achievement for Arsenal's Under-21s. They are the third youngest team to have played in the PL2 this season, and the youngest average side remaining in the competition.

Frenk