Wolverhampton Wanderers U21s v West Ham United U21s
Premier League 2, Aggborough Stadium, Friday 25 October 2024, 7pm BST
West Ham United U21s return to Premier League 2 action following the international break with a trip to face Wolverhampton Wanderers at Aggborough Stadium, home of Kidderminster Harriers.
The young Hammers are currently tied on points with Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the Premier League 2 table. With both rivals in action on Saturday, a victory on Friday night would see Mark Robson’s side temporarily claim top spot in the standings.
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. Highlights will be available on Saturday.
Opposition…
Wolverhampton Wanderers U21s are in a tight battle for a place in the play-off seedings, currently just outside the top 16 by goal difference. After six games, the play-off picture is looking cramped with only three points separating ninth-place Leicester City and 22nd-place Derby County.
Without a clean sheet in the league this season, wins have been hard to come by for the Old Gold’s development side. Their path to consolidating a play-off spot only becomes more difficult, as they face two of the league’s top three sides upon their return from the international break.
West Ham’s U21s can take confidence from their strong record against tomorrow’s opponents, having lost only once to Wolves in the last decade across eleven encounters. During the season before last, their last visit to Aggborough Stadium, several members of the current squad were part of a convincing 5-0 win, which included Lewis Orford’s maiden U21s goal.
Coach’s View…
After an extended break following their match against league leaders Manchester City, lead coach Mark Robson will be looking to get back to winning ways against Wolves. With time for rest, recovery, and a behind-closed-doors friendly, the U21s have used the time wisely to get back to their best.
“Away at Man City was a real test for the boys, and they came up against a very strong team that got the upper hand on us. But we've had a bit of a breather since then, trained hard, and got plenty of players valuable game time in a friendly, so we’re ready to do it all again tomorrow against Wolves.”
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.
The Story So Far…
West Ham United U21s have made a strong start to their Premier League 2 campaign, winning five of their first six games. However, defeat in their last outing to league leaders Manchester City will have left a sour taste during the almost three-week break after what was a flawless start. A win against Wolves would restore momentum as they push for another top play-off seeding having finished second last season.
