West Ham United U18s v Southampton U18s
Friday 8 December, FA Youth Cup round three, Rush Green Stadium, 7pm GMT
West Ham United U18s start their FA Youth Cup defence against Southampton on Friday evening.
The Hammers, who last term lifted the prestigious Youth Cup for the fourth time in the Club’s history, enter the competition in round three.
A re-match against the Saints awaits – the side Kevin Keen’s outfit beat at the semi-final stage last season.
Read on for our full preview...
How to watch
Fans in the UK will be able to watch the Hammers’ fixture via a live stream on the Club’s website and YouTube channel.
Our stream will start around five minutes before kick-off.
What happened last season
West Ham United’s U18s completed a wonderful, historic double by coming from behind to defeat Arsenal 5-1 and lift the FA Youth Cup last May.
Roared on by more than 7,000 fans at Emirates Stadium, Kevin Keen’s U18 Premier League South division champions produced another superb performance to win the biggest prize in junior football for the fourth time in the Club’s history.
George Earthy, Callum Marshall, captain Gideon Kodua, Kaelan Casey and Josh Briggs got the goals, wiping out Omari Benjamin’s seventh-minute opener and sealing a memorable victory for this talented team.
Briggs ready for Saints test
Josh Briggs expects a real battle when the U18s go head-to-head with Southampton on Friday.
The young centre-back was one of the scorers in the final last season, as his first touch rounded off an impressive 5-1 win over Arsenal last May.
He is excited about the challenge of FA Youth Cup football this term.
“It was special being part of that team,” said Briggs. “We fought hard for each other and got to the final.
“I was nervous coming on but obviously Lewis crossed the ball in, and I scored and that was one of the best feelings in the world and probably my best football moment so far.”
The young centre-back has been a key player for the U18s this season – and is relishing a more senior role at U18 level this term.
He added: “We are still confident in the group we have this year. We have been very good so far this season and we are a very close and together group.
“We back ourselves to win on Friday. It has been a quick start to the season, and we have got ourselves back to some winning momentum, so we are in good form heading into Friday’s match.”
Last Time Out
West Ham United U18s recorded a stunning 5-0 win over Leicester City last Saturday.
Jerry Umolu struck his first hat-trick at U18 level as the Hammers stayed second in the U18 Premier League South Division table.
Tickets
Tickets for our FA Youth Cup match against Southampton can be purchased here.
All tickets are priced at £3 for Adults £1 for Under-18s.
Opposition
Southampton have won two of their league fixtures this season and sit eleventh in the U18 Premier League South Division table.
The Saints reached the last four of the competition in the 2023/24, beating Preston North End at the quarter-final stage.
In the semi-finals, they were beaten by West Ham at London Stadium.
How to follow
We will have a live blog of the fixture on the Club’s website, with highlights and reaction to follow shortly after the full-time whistle.
The fixture will also be available to watch in the UK for free via a live stream on our YouTube channel.
