Details for West Ham United U18s’ FA Youth Cup fifth-round tie against Arsenal U18s have been confirmed.
The match will take place on Friday 16 April behind closed doors at Rush Green Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 7pm.
Following the initial 90 minutes, extra-time and penalties will be utilised if necessary to determine the winner, who will go on to face either Leicester City, or the winners of Liverpool and Manchester United, away in the quarter-finals.
Managed by Kevin Keen, the young Hammers reached the fifth round for the first time in nine years with a comprehensive 5-0 victory over Norwich City U18s at Carrow Road earlier this month.
The impressive showing followed a tense penalty shoot-out victory over Luton Town U18s in the previous round, before the competition was temporarily halted due to the suspension of grassroots football.
West Ham have won the prestigious FA Youth Cup on three occasions previously – 1963, 1981 and 1999 – while also finishing as runners-up in four further seasons. Their last medals from the competition came courtesy of a resounding 9-0 victory over Coventry across a two-legged final in 1999.
Manchester City are this season’s defending champions.
