Manchester City U21s 4-1 West Ham United U21s
Premier League 2, Etihad Campus, Saturday 5 October 2024, 7pm BST
West Ham United U21s saw their impressive five-match winning streak in Premier League 2 brought to an end by Manchester City, who leapfrogged Mark Robson’s side on goal difference to claim top spot with a 4-1 victory at the Etihad Campus.
The match began with both sides looking to assert themselves, but it was City who carved out the first clear opportunities. Ten minutes in, Kaelen Casey misjudged the weight of pass from his goalkeeper Fin Herrick, allowing Emilio Lawrence to pounce on the mistake. The City forward’s quick reaction saw him direct an effort towards goal, only to be denied by a fine Herrick save, narrowly missing out on an early breakthrough.
The warning signs were there for West Ham, and City soon capitalised. On the half-hour mark, City took the lead through Matty Henderson-Hall. After drawing their opponents out from their deep and compact set up, the hosts produced a slick, fast-paced transition move down the left which ended with Henderson-Hall meeting a cross in the box, finishing neatly to give his side a deserved 1-0 advantage.
Despite the setback, the Hammers responded well and nearly found an equaliser eight minutes later. A lofted ball from Luizão picked out Emeka Adiele on the left, who controlled well and darted into the box. His tight-angled effort forced City goalkeeper Jack Wint into a great save, keeping his side ahead.
Moments later, West Ham got their breakthrough, as Lewis Orford was fouled on the edge of the area, allowing Ollie Scarles to step up and level the scoring. Scarles’ effort into the far corner left City’s goalkeeper Wint rooted to the spot, and the Hammers, despite being second-best for much of the half, went into the interval level.
The second half started evenly, with City controlling most of the ball but West Ham threatening on the counter. However, it was City who broke the deadlock once again. In the 73rd minute, Jacob Wright span into space down the middle on the edge of the box before picking out the bottom left corner, putting City back in front.
Shortly after, they extended their lead to two. A well-worked move down the left saw Lawrence and Nico O'Reilly combine, with the former delivering a dangerous low cross into the box. Substitute Justin Oboavwoduo, fresh off the bench, was perfectly positioned to finish with a first-time strike, leaving the Hammers with a mountain to climb in the final stages of the game.
Compounding West Ham's misery, City added a fourth deep into stoppage time. Lawrence, who had been lively throughout, capped off the win with a clinical finish from close range, sealing a dominant display and ensuring his side leapfrogged the Hammers to claim top spot in the league heading into the international break.
West Ham will now look to regroup before their next PL2 fixture in just under three weeks' time, when they travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers on 25 October.
Manchester City U21s: Wint, Samuel, Alleyne, Simpson-Pusey, Naylor, Wright, Henderson-Hall (Oboavwoduo 74), O’Reilly © (Okeke 90+1), Heskey, Dickson, Lawrence
Subs not used: Whatmuff (GK), Mfuni, Gray
Goals: Henderson-Hall 30, Wright 73, Oboavwoduo 79, Lawrence 90+6
West Ham United U21s: Herrick, Casey ©, Luizão, Mayers, Battrum (Robinson HT), Orford, Akpata, Adiele, Moore (Ajala 80), Scarles, Swyer
Subs not used: Hooper (GK), Rigge, Dolaghan
Goal: Scarles 45
Booked: Robinson
Robson: I think the scoreline was an unfair reflection on the game
After a tough evening in Manchester, Mark Robson's U21 side saw their five-game winning streak come to an end. While the scoreline may have been harsh, Robson acknowledged the quality of the opposition.
With time to recover during the international break, the young Hammers will now have their sights firmly set on their next game against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
"I think they were by far the better team,” Robson reflected. “A really good side with excellent players that had the quality to open us up. I’m disappointed, especially with the fourth goal we conceded - I think that was an unfair reflection on the game.
“We didn’t play well tonight, and they were the better team. Sometimes you have to take your medicine and move on. We’ve got a couple of weeks to rest and recover and be ready to go again against Wolves.”
