AFC Wimbledon's EFL Trophy campaign ended on Tuesday night with a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal U21 at Cherry Red Records Stadium. Emerson Nwaneri's 87th-minute winner sealed the result after Evan Mooney had cancelled out Callum Maycock's second-half opener for the Dons.
Callum Maycock gave the League One side the lead three minutes after the restart, finishing from a Steven Sessegnon assist. The advantage lasted until the 72nd minute when Evan Mooney, set up by Nwaneri, levelled for the young Gunners. Nwaneri then turned scorer late on, firing in from an A. Stevens pass to send Arsenal U21 through.
Match stats
Arsenal U21 dominated possession with 58% and created the better chances, registering an expected goals (xG) figure of 2.21 to Wimbledon's 0.96. The Dons managed 15 shots, with six on target, but were ultimately undone by two clinical finishes in the final 20 minutes. Zack Nelson received a first-half yellow card for the hosts.
The defeat extends a difficult run for AFC Wimbledon, who have now gone five matches without a win in all competitions. Their recent form in the league shows no wins, one draw, and four losses from their last five outings, a sequence that includes a 1-1 draw with Wycombe on Saturday 24 October and losses to Mansfield Town, Sheffield Wednesday, and Plymouth. They sit 16th in the League One standings with 13 points from 12 games, having recorded three wins and four draws against five losses. The team has scored just eight goals all season while conceding 19, leaving them with a goal difference of negative eleven and some twelve points behind the league leaders, Huddersfield.
Attention now turns immediately to a key league fixture away at second-placed Stockport County this Saturday 31 October. The Dons will be looking to end their poor run of form, which includes a 5-0 loss to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday 17 October and a 3-0 defeat to Mansfield Town on Tuesday 20 October. Their top scorer this season is J. Stockley with five goals in 12 appearances, a tally that includes his 29th-minute strike in the 1-1 draw with Wycombe.
Tuesday's lineup featured Steven Sessegnon in a back five, with Myles Hippolyte and Robin Ashamu entering as second-half substitutes. The result means Wimbledon cannot progress from the group stage, a competition format they had reached the knockout rounds of for the first time this season.
