Preview | U21s resume PL2 campaign at home to Sunderland

West Ham United U21s v Sunderland U21s
Premier League 2, Rush Green Stadium, Friday 17 January 2025, 7pm GMT

West Ham United U21s resume their Premier League 2 campaign on Friday, hosting Sunderland at Rush Green Stadium.

Our young Hammers come into this one on the back of three successive victories, including back-to-back triumphs over senior opposition in the National League Cup.

Sunderland’s development side, on the other hand, head south following a month-long break from competitive action, having seen their last three fixtures postponed. The young Blackcats will be looking to build on their fine form in Premier League 2 which has seen them pick up wins in four of their last five, including a 2-1 win at Arsenal in their last outing in Decemeber.

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 - 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...

A live stream of the fixture will be available across the Club’s website and YouTube channel. A match report, highlights and reaction will also follow shortly after 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...  

The young Hammers will be familiar with the threat posed by Sunderland’s development side. The last time the two sides met, in last season's Premier League 2 Elimination Playoffs quarter-final, West Ham took the lead in the first half and seemed set for a semi-final clash against Reading, only for Sunderland to force extra-time in the final minutes. A dramatic 30-minute period unfolded with West Ham twice retaking the lead before being pegged back to draw 3-3 and falling short in the penalty shootout.

Halfway through this season, and the two sides are separated by just a single point, both with five wins and four defeats, with Sunderland having drawn their extra game played, so we could expect to see another very tight contest. Sunderland, however, are without a competitive fixture since their 2-1 victory away at Arsenal, having seen their last four fixtures postponed. That being said, during the development side’s fixture break, a handful of young Black Cats have been involved in first team action, including a first senior start for U21s captain Harrison Jones and a debut for Trey Samuel Ogunsuyi in Sunderland’s third round FA Cup tie against Stoke City. With the first team also in action on Friday in a top-of-the-table Championship clash against Burnley, head coach Régis Le Bris might leave the U21s short of their best players again.

Ones To Watch…

Starting in all but one game for the development side which he missed due to injury, Ezra Mayers has proved to be a key figure in the U21s’ back-three. A year on from signing his first professional contract, the young centre-back who is celebrating his 18th birthday today, has gone from strength to strength. Last season’s Dylan Tombides award winner, recognising the Academy’s outstanding scholar, Mayers is a strong defender with a commanding presence, great communication and confidence in possession. Included in a senior matchday squad for the first time this season when the Hammers hosted Arsenal in November, he will continue to make a case that he is first-team material.

Another second-year scholar who is making his mark in the U21s is 17-year-old Emeka Adiele. Since signing his first professional contract in the summer, Adiele has registered eleven goal contributions across all competitions for our U21s and U18s from wing-back. Expect to see Adiele regularly burst forward and cause problems from the flanks for the opposition defenders.

Missing a big chunk of his first full season on Wearside due to injury, Ukranian attacker Timur Tutierov has a point to prove this season. In his first prolonged spell in the starting lineup for the U21s, the 19-year-old, who scored in Sunderland’s play-off run in the quarter-final and final, is proving to be a goal threat once again this season from the left wing. A Ukranian youth international, Tutierov has been on the scoresheet in Sunderland’s last two victories against Arsenal and Manchester United.

At the club since the age of nine, Tom Lavery has started every game at right-back for Sunderland’s development side this season. Scoring and assisting on his U21s debut last season in a 3-2 win over Aston Villa, the 19-year-old has also featured in a handful of senior matchday squads since breaking into the U21s. In addition to his defensive contributions, Lavery has proved to be a goal threat too, assisting in his last two Premier League 2 appearances, as well as scoring in Sunderland’s impressive 5-1 National League Cup win over Tamworth.

How Things Stand In Premier League 2...

At the halfway stage in the regular season, West Ham United U21s sit thirteenth in the standings, three points safe of the play-off cut-off point, albeit with at least a game in hand on those around them, as they continue to push to secure a place in the top 16.  

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