Arsenal summer signing from Rangers makes academy debut

Arsenal academy summer signing Archie Stevens made his debut for the u21s in a win over Derby County on Friday night.

Photo via Arsenal.com

Arsenal completed the signing of Archie Stevens just last week, bringing the 19-year-old in after a successful trial period with the club. Stevens had previously been on the books with Rangers, even making his senior debut, but he opted to move on at the end of his deal in the summer.

The winger then featured in Arsenal u21 friendlies against Chelmsford City and Monaco II, scoring in the latter of those two fixtures.

Having done enough to earn a permanent contract, Stevens had the chance to make his competitive Arsenal u21 debut against Derby County on Friday night.

Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images

It was a lively first Premier League 2 start for Stevens, operating primarily on the left wing. His performance drew some comparisons with the first team’s Gabriel Martinelli, due to his pace and running style.

Stevens also shifted over to the right wing on one or two occasions, where he could use that pace to get around the outside of the full-back and put a cross in.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Archies Stevens vs Derby U21

The former Rangers player debuted for Arsenal U21 tonight after signing for Arsenal in the summer. Played on both wings today and showed excellent pace and close control.pic.twitter.com/4AtaYcnjUyhttps://t.co/Z7zzMxabzn

— 🇳🇴 kimmoFC (@kimmoFC) September 26, 2025

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It was a tight game in the end, and one of the substitutes ended up stealing the limelight away from Stevens with a late winner.

Photo via Arsenal.com

Osman Kamara was making his third substitute appearance following a recent injury, and he fired home a rebound for 1-0 after a cross from Charles Sagoe Jr. was intercepted by the goalkeeper.

That was how the game ended, with Kamara notching his second goal contribution in those three sub cameos. The winger assisted Sagoe Jr.’s winner over Newport County in midweek.

After starting the season with a defeat and a draw, the Arsenal u21s are back on track with four consecutive wins in all competitions. In the PL2, the team now sit seventh of 29 teams.

Arsenal u21 lineup vs Derby County

Ranson, Hamill, Nichols, Salmon, Sweet, Dudziak, Copley, Agustien, Stevens, Ferdinand, Sagoe Jr.

Substitutes

Ibrahim (for Dudziak, 57), Kamara (for Agustien, 58), Harriman-Annous (for Ferdinand, 58), Clarke (for Stevens, 85), Mitchell

What’s next?

The Arsenal u21s are next in action on Saturday, October 4th for a Premier League 2 match at home to West Ham United. But in the meantime, the u19s face Olympiacos in the UEFA Youth League on Wednesday, October 1st, and many members of the u21 team should be involved in that game.