Arsenal U21s v West Ham United U21s
Premier League 2, Meadow Park, Friday 11 August 2023, 7pm BST
West Ham United U21s will start their 2023/24 Premier League 2 campaign with a trip to Arsenal on Friday 11 August.
The Irons will travel to Meadow Park to play their London rivals, who finished in seventh place last campaign.
Having returned from a pre-season tour to Murcia last week, our U21s will take confidence following a 2-0 win over Canvey Island on Tuesday.
Both lead coach Mark Robson and midfielder Patrick Kelly are ready for the challenge to come against the Gunners.
Read on for all you need to know about Friday's fixture:
Patrick Kelly ready for PL2 challenge
One of the hatful of players to make the permanent step towards Premier League 2 football this season is Patrick Kelly.
The Northern Irish midfielder played in five matches our U18s' FA Youth Cup win last season, making a return from a calf injury to star in the semi-final win over Southampton and our final victory against Arsenal.
With U18s stepping up from North London to the U21 level too, Kelly is expecting a tough test following the victory at Emirates Stadium last May, although he is confident the Irons’ pre-season form puts them in a good place ahead of Friday’s opener.
“We have got a couple of wins under our belt,” he states, on recent matches against Colchester United, Elche B, and Canvey Island, “but I think we are most happy with how we have played. I think it has been three good performances in a row.
“A lot of us have stepped up this season, but it is good because we all have a strong bond with each other, and we won a lot of games last year and hopefully we can bring that to the U21s.”
Featuring on three occasions across both EFL Trophy and Premier League 2 matches for the U21s in 2022/23, the 18-year-old is ready to make the step up on a permanent basis this season.
Key to his, and the side’s success, will be a midfield three that truly complement each other’s games, all of whom will be progressing from U18s football to U21s this season.
Kelly, alongside midfielder teammates George Earthy and Lewis Orford, is excited to attack the 2023/24 campaign.
“Me and Lewis have a really good bond with each other,” Kelly added. “We played central midfield together most of last season and we link up well, and George ahead of us is good to have as well.
"You need to cover everything in the midfield, with Lewis being more on the front foot and me doing more of the dirty work. I think we play really well as a duo, yeah!”
Robson believes new crop can make PL2 their stage
A trip to Arsenal will kickstart the season and the first competitive outing for the hatful of U18s to make the step to the U21 level.
FA Youth Cup winners Mason Terry, George Earthy, Patrick Kelly, Callum Marshall, Gideon Kodua, Regan Clayton with all play with the development squad this season – as will second-year scholars Ollie Scarles and Lewis Orford, both of whom would be eligible but unlikely to feature in the 2023/24 FA Youth Cup.
As such, lead coach Mark Robson is excited to continue the work conducted by Kevin Keen last season as a group that has created a buzz around Chadwell Heath take the next steps in their footballing journey in east London.
“It’s a really buoyant group and the lads are really looking forward to it,” Robson said. “We have had a decent pre-season and over the last few weeks, it has been really good. The form we have hit over the last couple of games especially means we go into the Arsenal match with a lot of confidence.
“The U18s had a great season last year and a lot of those boys played for us as well, so there already have that experience of the U21s and an understanding of what that is like. That will only put them in good stead for this season.
“The challenges for them last season of playing in the U21s were clear to see and I hope that because they know what to expect means that they can keep expressing themselves and developing themselves. Because that’s the goal, to keep them doing that, and hopefully pushing for opportunities with the first team.”
Team News
Sean Moore could be set for a PL2 debut and his first competitive minutes for West Ham, since signing from Cliftonville in July.
The quick and skilful winger scored during the Hammers win over Elche B in a pre-season fixture held in Murcia and will hope to make his mark in a London derby.
Last Time Out
West Ham United U21s concluded their 2023/24 Premier League 2 preparations with a 2-0 win against Canvey Island.
Canvey defender Tobi Tinubu got the final touch after Liam Jones’ delicious cross found Favour Fawunmi at the back post to put the Irons ahead.
Joshua Ajala then netted a stunning second from close range to round off the victory and ensure a side, with both U21s and U18s in its ranks, head into the season with a third straight pre-season win under their belts.
Opposition
Arsenal U21s saw eight wins and eight defeats from their 26 league fixtures in 2022/23. Add in ten draws, and Arsenal would finish in seventh in the table, five places above the Hammers, who concluded the season in eleventh.
Like West Ham, a hatful of Gunners are expected to make the step up from their U18s’ run to the FA Youth Cup Final last May.
Ahead of their PL2 opener, Arsenal beat Bishop Stortford 3-1 in their final pre-season fixture and will hope to kickstart their 2023/24 season with a London derby win.
How to follow?
A live blog will run on whufc.com, with build-up starting from 6.15 pm and kick-off at 7pm. Report, reaction, and highlights will follow shortly after the final whistle.
Tickets
Arsenal U21s play home games at Boreham Wood FC’s Meadow Park. Supporters are welcome to attend these fixtures and admittance is free.
