Norwich City U21s v West Ham United U21s
Premier League 2, Carrow Road, Friday 12 April 2024, 7pm GMT
West Ham United U21s continue their Premier League 2 campaign away to Norwich City on Friday evening, with the fixture to be played at the Canaries' Carrow Road main stadium.
The young Hammers are currently second in the standings, having lost just three of their 18 league fixtures in 2023/24.
Looking to bounce back from an agonising 3-2 Premier League International Cup semi-final exit at the hands of Dutch club PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday evening, Steve Potts’ side could record a third straight win in PL2 if they can triumph in Norfolk.
Read on for our full preview below...
How To Follow...
A live blog will be available on the Club’s website and app, and a match report and reaction will follow shortly after the full-time whistle.
How To Follow...
Tickets for Friday’s game are free.
The South Stand turnstiles at Carrow Road open at 6.30pm, where there will be a designated section for walk-ins.
Premier League 2 explained...
The competition has a new format this season, with one division made up of 26 clubs with Category One Academies. Each team will play 20 regular season fixtures, after which the top 16 teams will qualify for a single elimination play-off.
In addition, the teams finishing the regular season in the top 12 will be invited to take part in next season’s Premier League International Cup.
West Ham are already guaranteed to finish in the top 12, as they are 15 points clear of Crystal Palace, who are 13th and have just three regular season matches to play.
Coach’s View…
Lead coach Steve Potts is adamant the Hammers can bounce back following a narrow defeat to PSV on Tuesday.
The Irons were unable to hold onto their two-goal advantage as three second-half goals for the Dutch side saw the holders progress to the final at West Ham’s expense.
Returning to PL2 action, Potts believes his side can take confidence from their first-half showing on Tuesday evening.
He stated: “It’s a good talented group but they also have a great team spirit and watch each other’s backs which is so important.
“Everyone is disappointed after losing a semi-final because no-one likes that feeling and that’s the way the boys are because of how it panned out in the second half.
“We have to move on now to the league, but the boys can take a lot of encouragement from the first 30-35 minutes because PSV were an older team, who play in the Dutch second-tier, so you are up against it because this is a side that play in a men’s league.”
Opposition…
The Hammers had a good experience the last time they travelled to an EFL Championship ground – a 5-2 win over Leeds United at Elland Road last August – although Norwich City will pose another strong test.
While the young Canaries are sat 18th, the hosts are now only a few points away from the top 16 and still have a shot at winning the PL2 title through the knockouts.
Such a format means that qualification for the play-offs is crucial, with Norwich looking to build on their six league wins this season to make the next stage of the competition.
They have previously beaten Chelsea, Leicester City, West Bromwich Albion, Blackburn, Manchester City, and Leeds United in the league.
Story So Far…
The U21s are currently in second place in PL2 and are level on points with leaders Tottenham Hotspur, although those in Claret and Blue have played two more games than their north London rivals.
The Hammers have recorded successive PL2 wins over Brighton & Hove Albion & Derby County and have scored nine goals across their last three matches in all competitions.
While Divin Mubama will not be available due to suspension after being shown a red card against Brighton last month, Callum Marshall could feature after an agreement has been made with West Bromwich Albion for his return to east London.
