A classy first half performance from Arsenal saw Derby County’s Under 23s fall to a 3-1 defeat at St George’s Park.

Chris Willock opened the scoring as the Rams went behind early doors for the third consecutive game, before Chuba Akpom, who was on loan at Hull City last season, made it two with a similar finish.

The same man added a second before the hour mark, as Charles Vernam’s penalty conversion proved to be a consolation despite Darren Wassall’s side rally late on.

With the wind heavily against them in the first half, Derby faced a fierce uphill battle against a young Arsenal side brimming with talent and quality.

With Ainsley Maitland-Niles anchoring midfield and mopping up most of the hosts’ bursts forward, the Gunners’ front four were a constant menace as they penned the Rams towards their own goal for large periods of a tough first 45 minutes.

Early goals had been a feature of Derby’s previous two Premier League 2 encounters – against Everton and Tottenham Hotspur – and it was a familiar scenario this time around too as they found themselves behind early doors.

A provider first before scoring, Akpom showed his pace to collect a loose ball midway inside the home side’s half and slipped a finely weighted pass into the path of Willock to his left, who took a touch before beating Henrich Ravas with a low shot.

The pressure didn’t let up. The Rams’ Slovakian goalkeeper pulled off a sublime double save moments after to deny the impressive Stephy Mavididi and Akpom as Arsenal threatened a quick second.

The confidence was oozing from the visitors and that was displayed by the audacity of Maitland-Niles after he attempted to beat Ravas with a lobbed effort from the halfway line.

Arsenal, however, did double their advantage on 27 minutes after and to a nearly exact carbon copy of the opening goal as Akpom, this time, latched on to Mavididi’s through ball to finish with a low right footed shot beyond Ravas.

Gedion Zelalem had the opportunity to try and add a third shortly before the interval after he crafted some space on the edge of area, but the midfielder could not get enough power on his lofted effort as Ravas rushed out to easily claim.

The same pattern continued into the early stages of the second half as Derby’s backline continued to be kept busy.

Mavididi saw a firm drive turned behind by Ravas, whilst the goalkeeper also blocked Ben Sheaf’s effort after swift counter attack move, but the third goal of the evening did follow shortly after as Akpom smashed in his second from a tight angle after escaping Stabana’s presence.

It nearly got worse on the hour mark too as Stabana, superbly, cleared another Mavididi effort off the line after the forward had rounded Ravas and from there, and Marc Bola, the full back, was denied by the woodwork after being picked out inside the area.

Seventy minutes on the clock and that is when the contest evened out and Derby began to seriously craft their own openings.

Stabana, with a deep cross, cracked the top of the crossbar earlier on, but Wassall’s men were gifted a glorious opportunity to score after the referee awarded a spot kick.

Alex Babos, the substitute, had gone down under a loose leg and up stepped Vernam to convert his fourth goal in four league games, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.

He nearly made it five in four, as he smacked a low drive from range no more than a minute later, but Hugo Keto got down low to make an easy save in the centre of his goal.

Despite the hosts' huffing and puffing, Akpom could have sealed his hat trick, but he screwed his effort wide when well placed as the Rams’ wait for a first win of the 2016/17 season goes on.

Derby County U23s: Ravas, Stabana, Rawson, Wassall, Cover (Gordon, 46), Macdonald; Hanson, Guy, Elsnik (Babos, 57), Santos (Jakobsen, 67); Vernam

Substitutes not used: Barnes, Walker

Arsenal U23s: Keto, Johnson, Da Graca, Bielik, Bola (Da Silva, 70), Zelalem, Sheaf, Maitland-Niles, Mavididi, Willock, Akpom

Substitutes not used: Bannacer, Virginia, Dragomir, Mourgos

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