West Ham United U21s v Everton U21s
Premier League 2, Rush Green Stadium, Saturday 27 August, 12noon
West Ham United U21s continue their Premier League 2 Division 1 campaign at home to Everton on Saturday 27 August.
The development side are on the hunt for their first win of the 2022/23 campaign after a defeat to Leicester City last time out.
While the young Irons have netted in each of their opening trio of fixtures so far, the U21s are yet to get a point on the board after tricky tests away to Fulham, at home to Arsenal, and on the road at Leicester City.
Saturday’s fixture is set to be played at Rush Green Stadium with kick-off set for 12noon.
Tickets…
West Ham United is delighted to confirm that fans are once again permitted to attend U21s fixtures this campaign, with admittance free for Season Ticket Holders. Proof of Season Ticket status must be shown upon entry to Rush Green.
Tickets can also be purchased on the door for Saturday’s Premier League 2 fixture. Adults can get their tickets for £5 while U16s can attend for £1.
Gates will open an hour before kick-off at Rush Green Stadium.
Travel…
Fans wishing to attend this Saturday's U21s fixture should note that parking will not be available at Rush Green Stadium on this occasion due to other commitments at the West Ham United Training Ground.
Fans wishing to utilise public transport can make use of the Dagenham East Underground Station, on the District Line and Hammersmith & City Line, which is a mile-and-a-half from the training ground.
Romford Station – on the London Overground, Elizabeth Line and Greater Anglia service - is also a mile-and-half from the Ground, with buses running regularly from the station to Rush Green.
How to follow…
Unfortunately, due to broadcast regulations, we are unable to live stream Saturday’s U21s fixture at home to Everton.
Goal updates will be available through the West Ham United Twitter feed and live match updates, as they happen, through the live blog coverage at whufc.com. Our live blog coverage will begin an hour before kick-off, at 11am.
Full highlights from the game, as well as reaction from lead coach Mark Robson and the squad, will be available on YouTube and whufc.com on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
Team News...
Mark Robson will be eager to have a full contingent of Academy development players available for Saturday’s fixture at home to Everton.
Armstrong Okoflex returned to the side last time out, away to Leicester City, but Harrison Ashby missed out after being included in the senior squad for the Premier League test against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Availability may depend on who is called up by first-team manager David Moyes for the UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round second leg with Viborg FF on Thursday evening.
Ashby played the full 90 minutes in the first-leg last Thursday evening while Okoflex, Jamal Baptiste, Dan Chesters and Pierre Ekwah were on the substitutes bench.
Opposition…
With two wins and a draw from their opening trio of Premier League 2 matches, Everton have made a solid start to the 2022/23 campaign.
Back-to-back victories against Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur were followed by a credible 2-2 draw against Manchester United, making the young Toffees one of five unbeaten teams left in Division 1 heading into the fourth round of fixtures.
With six goals scored so far this season, four of those have been netted by the in-form Tom Cannon. The 19-year-old striker scored both in the 2-2 with the Red Devils, having netted in once in both wings over Blackburn and Spurs.
Defensively, Everton have only conceded twice so far this campaign as well, with goalkeeper Zan Luk Leban keeping two clean-sheets in the opening two fixtures.
Everton are two-time winners of Premier League 2, lifting the trophy in the 2016/17 and 2018/19 campaigns, and finished eleventh in Division 1 last season – a spot they look highly likely to better this year.
The team are now coached by Paul Tait, who took on the role of U21s lead coach as part of a restructure in the summer. The 47-year-old, who himself is an Everton Academy graduate, previously was in charge of the U18s and held the role since 2014.
