West Bromwich Albion U21s v West Ham United U21s
Premier League 2, WBA Training Ground, Monday 15 January, 1pm GMT
West Ham United U21s will continue their Premier League 2 campaign away to West Bromwich Albion on Monday afternoon.
The young Hammers are third in the standings, having lost just one of their ten league fixtures.
Steve Potts’ side will seek to return to winning ways following the end of their 16-game unbeaten run in all competitions at EFL League One Wycombe Wanderers in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy on Tuesday.
They will hope to stretch a winning run in the league to five games.
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How To Follow...
We will have report, highlights and reaction to follow shortly after the full-time whistle.
Opposition...
West Bromwich Albion U21s are 19th in Premier League 2, and will be hoping for a strong end to the season to reach the top 16 and the knockouts.
Albion beat Everton 3-1 in their last fixture of 2023 and will look to record consecutive league wins against the Hammers.
Monday’s hosts claimed their only other league win of the season against Aston Villa in August.
Player’s Perspective…
For the first time since August, the U21s will be looking for a strong response to defeat as they head north for their next outing.
While the result did not go the Hammers’ way against Wycombe last time out, they are still nine games unbeaten in Premier League 2, and Levi Laing believes his side can take confidence from such form.
“We are a bit disappointed about losing on Tuesday,” he stated. “But we have to look at what we have achieved in getting to a stage that no West Ham United U21s team has before.
“It might have come to an end, but we still went 16 games unbeaten, which is incredible really. There are lessons to be learned from that game, and now it is about pushing on. Hopefully, we can respond against West Brom.
“You’ve got a lot of strong sides in Premier League 2 this season, with the new format. It means we have the experience of playing teams we haven’t played for a while, which will be a good challenge for us.”
Team News...
Kamarai Swyer has been recalled from his loan at EFL League Two side Crawley Town.
Swyer recorded three goal contributions in 11 matches while at the Reds, and he could return to the U21s squad against West Bromwich Albion.
The Story So Far…
The U21s are currently one point behind second-placed Fulham in the Premier League 2 table, with a game in hand, having recorded their seventh win of the league season in their 2023 finale in emphatic fashion.
Kaelan Casey, Callum Marshall, George Earthy, Conor Coventry and Gideon Kodua were all on the scoresheet as the team came from behind to see off Crystal Palace 5-1 at the VBS Community Stadium on 18 December.
After notching 17 goals in their last four league clashes, Potts’ outfit will be hoping to kickstart 2024 in style with a similarly clinical display.
