Two Arsenal youngsters were bold enough to try something different when a penalty was awarded to them.
General view outside the stadium before the game – Etihad Stadium, Arsenal
You see it on the television so why not try it yourself on Saturday morning or weekday evening?
That’s what Arsenal and England Under-15 forward Trae Coyle had in mind when The Gunners side were awarded a penalty in a youth game.
He and a teammate were clearly paying attention when it came to the school of unusual penalty taking, taking a leaf out of the book of a number of high-profile stars during the match – and there was video of the incident to boot too.
The two seemed to have practised a particular kind of penalty with the pair putting away the spot kick in a way others who have appeared in the Arsenal shirt hadn’t quite managed, with one knocking it to the side for the other to slam home. It was a similar to what we saw last season with Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi when the Barca duo surprised Celta Vigo keeper Sergio.
Suarez/Messi penalty Picture Supplied by Action Images
However Arsenal fans have seen a similar spot kick fail when Thierry Henry and Robert Pires decided to do it against Manchester City in 2005.
Pires attempted to pass to his countryman, but the ball barely moved off the penalty spot with the French winger’s studs merely grazing the top of the ball, and the penalty ended up as an infamous failure.
Speaking to The Times Pires explained what happened “The story of our missed penalty is actually a funny one. The day before the City game, Thierry and I practised it at training. There was one difference though: he was passing and I was scoring,”
“I replied that I didn’t feel like doing it,” Pires added. ” The game was not won yet, it was a tight game and I just thought he should just take it normally and score. But he insisted, so I acquiesced.
“Unfortunately, my mind was not into it. It makes me smile now when I think about it, but my brain froze as I was about to roll the ball to him and I missed it! I can see the funny side of it. But disrespect? No way.”
Robert Pires in action for Arsenal – DC/FMS
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