Blackburn Rovers U21s v West Ham United U21s
Premier League 2, Blackburn Rovers Academy, Saturday 2 March 2024, 1pm GMT
West Ham United U21s continue their Premier League 2 campaign away to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.
The young Hammers are currently second in the standings, having lost just two of their 13 league fixtures in 2023/24.
Steve Potts’ side will hope to continue a return to winning ways after a 2-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion last time out booked a place in the Premier League International Cup semi-finals.
Read on for our full preview below...
How To Follow...
A live blog will be available on the Club’s website and app, while a match report and reaction will follow shortly after the full-time whistle.
Premier League 2 explained...
The competition has a new format this season, with one division made up of 26 clubs with Category One Academies. Each team will play 20 regular season fixtures, after which the top 16 teams will qualify for a single elimination playoff.
In addition, the teams finishing the regular season in the top 12 will be invited to take part in the next season’s Premier League International Cup.
Opposition…
Blackburn Rovers will be another strong test for the Hammers – as is always the case in Premier League 2.
Saturday’s hosts are 16th in the league table, having taken five wins from their first 14 games.
They have recorded four wins and a draw in their last five PL2 matches, before a 6-2 defeat by Aston Villa in the Premier League Cup last time out.
Zak Gilsenan is the side’s top scorer with five goals in six appearances this season.
Player’s Perspective…
Midfielder Patrick Kelly believes the young Hammers can take plenty of confidence from their recent win over Brighton & Hove Albion into Saturday’s fixture.
Securing a place in the Premier League International Cup semi-final came last time out, although a return to league action now awaits Steve Potts’ men.
There is no doubt that Kelly - who has played in each of the Hammers' league fixtures this season - will be keen to make his mark once more.
“We’ve had some pretty tough games in PL2 recently against Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur and we were unlucky not to get more than a point from both those games,” Kelly stated.
“I think in the Spurs game we played really well, and we can take a lot of confidence from that game, especially win them being at the top of the league and going away to play them as well.
“Winning against Brighton was really important for us as a group because we had to come from behind to win the game and show a lot of character.
“Like everyone in this league, Blackburn will be a tough game, but we know we have the quality to get a positive result and stay near the top of the league.”
Story So Far…
The U21s are currently four points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur, although those in Claret and Blue have played two more games than their north London rivals.
The Hammers battled to take a point from Spurs in their last PL2 outing, responding to only their second defeat of the season against Chelsea.
Nine wins and three draws across 14 matches have helped Steve Potts’ men move up to second in PL2, behind only Spurs and three points clear of third-place Arsenal.
Finishing high in the table will improve the Irons' seeding for the post-season 16-team single-elimination tournament, the winners of which will be crowned Premier League 2 champions for 2023/24.
