West Ham United U21s v Chelsea U21s
Premier League 2, Rush Green Stadium, Friday 27 September 2024, 7pm BST
West Ham United U21s return to Premier League 2 action on Friday evening with a London derby against Chelsea at Rush Green Stadium.
With four wins out of four, the young Hammers sit second in the PL2 standings, behind only Arsenal on goals scored. Their resilience was on full display in midweek too, when they fought back to secure a point against SL Benfica B in the Premier League International Cup, despite a heavily rotated starting lineup.
That result, coupled with their perfect league form, should give Mark Robson’s men plenty of confidence as they seek to continue their 100 per cent start to the Premier League 2 campaign.
Tickets...
Tickets can be purchased at the turnstiles, priced at £5 for Adults and £1 for Under-18s. 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, TikTok, 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.
Coach’s View…
With fixtures coming thick and fast, lead coach Mark Robson has had to carefully manage his squad. After a demanding schedule that saw back-to-back away trips to Newport and Newcastle followed by an intense Premier League International Cup match against SL Benfica B, rotation has been key.
Robson said: “We’ve been able to give some players a rest and others an opportunity to get minutes in the legs so everyone’s in a position to do a job on Friday evening. Chelsea are always a good side and we expect a tough test, but I’m confident in the way we’ve been playing and expect everyone to be at their best level to continue our strong start to the season.”
Opposition…
Chelsea’s U21s currently occupy the 16th and last play-off place following a mixed start to their Premier League 2 campaign.
Defeats by Tottenham Hotspur and most recently West Bromwich Albion have the young Blues sitting on four points from their first four fixtures. However, a convincing EFL Trophy win away to League Two side Bromley in midweek may indicate a turn in fortunes for Filipe Coelho’s men.
With ten goals in their last three outings, the young Blues’ attacking form suggests their front line will pose a real test for West Ham’s defence, which boasts the best record in the division. Despite their goalscoring form however, Chelsea are without a clean sheet in their last 12 games.
The Story So Far…
West Ham’s U21s have been near flawless in the Premier League 2, winning all four of their fixtures so far, including three clean sheets. Their perfect start sees them level on points with Arsenal at the top of the standings, with only goals scored separating the two.
As they prepare for a challenging run of fixtures against Chelsea and Manchester City, the young Hammers’ resolve and form will undoubtedly be tested in the coming weeks.
