Preview | Top two PL2 sides of 2025 go head to head at Rush Green

West Ham United U21s v Crystal Palace U21s
Premier League 2, Rush Green Stadium, Friday 4 April 2025, 7pm BST

West Ham United U21s play their final home game of the Premier League 2 regular season on Friday evening, welcoming Crystal Palace to Rush Green Stadium.

With just two regular season games left, Mark Robson’s side could still beat their tally of 42 points from last season which saw them secure a second-place finish.

The two academy sides with the best league record in 2025 meet in what is set to be an intriguing match-up at Rush Green Stadium.

Tickets...

Tickets can be purchased at the turnstiles, priced at £5 for Adults and £1 for U18s. Season Ticket Holders can attend for free by showing their Season Ticket at the entrance.

Travel...

The postcode for Rush Green Stadium - at West Ham United’s first-team training ground - is RM7 0LU.

To access the ground via public transport, fans can take a train to Romford station, then board a 5, 103 or 175 bus for the 15-minute ride and get off at the Barton Avenue stop.

Supporters using public transport are advised to check their journeys before they travel, using resources such as TfL’s Journey Planner and the TfL Go app. Supporters may also wish to visit the National Rail website if travelling on the rail network.

Fans wishing to attend this Premier League 2 fixture by car should note that there is no parking available for spectators at Rush Green Stadium due to onsite construction works.
 

How To Follow...

The game will be blogged live, while a live stream of the fixture will be available on the Club’s YouTube channel.

A match report, highlights and reaction will also follow the full-time whistle.

Premier League 2 Explained…

To minimise the impact of relegation on future groups of U21 players, the Premier League introduced a new format to its development phase competition in 2023/24.

Replacing the two-division system, the 26 Category One academies now compete in a single tier with 20 regular season fixtures before the top 16 seeded teams advance to single-elimination play-offs.

Regular season fixtures are determined by a draw made according to clubs’ performances over the last three seasons. Each team plays 20 different opponents before the play-offs in May, where they will be drawn against each other based on league positions, with the higher seeded team playing at home. The top 12 are also rewarded with a place in the following season’s Premier League International Cup competition.

Opposition...  

Since a heavy defeat which saw them ship ten goals to Brighton & Hove Albion in October, Crystal Palace U21s have only conceded 13 times in 12 matches.

Only the young Hammers have picked up more points in 2025, with Palace losing just once in the league since November. Their impressive run has seen them claim 14 points from a possible 18, including a statement win away to Manchester City last time out. Trailing 2-0, Palace fought back to stun the Premier League 2 leaders and become the first team to win at City this season.

With the division’s third-best away record, Palace have won six of their nine games on the road. A win on Friday night could lift them above Chelsea, who they face on the final day, as they aim for a top-three seeding in the upcoming play-offs.

When these sides last met in the final match of 2023, West Ham United U21s were on a 15-game unbeaten run. A 22nd-minute penalty from Palace’s Jack Wells-Morrison threatened to end that streak, but the young Hammers hit back in style with five second-half goals to continue their incredible form into the new year.

How Things Stand In Premier League 2...

With both teams comfortably inside the top 16, the final two games will determine play-off seedings for West Ham United and Crystal Palace.

A win over Brighton & Hove Albion saw Fulham capitalise on West Ham’s first league defeat since November, extending the gap between second and third to four points.

Mark Robson’s side can still secure a second-place finish with victories in their final two matches, though they will need Fulham to drop points in both of their remaining fixtures. These include a home clash against leaders Manchester City and a tricky away trip to Lancashire, where Blackburn Rovers will be fighting for a play-off berth.