U18s preview: West Ham United v Arsenal | Match preview | News
Adam Birchall’s under-18s face West Ham United at Little Heath Sports Ground on Tuesday afternoon (12pm UK), looking to get back to winning ways in the U18 Premier League South.
Tuesday’s meeting with the Hammers will be our second in under two weeks, after West Ham came out on top in an seven-goal thriller at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on April 25.
Our young Gunners have since found their way back into the points however, coming from behind to earn a 1-1 draw with Leicester City on Saturday afternoon.
The Opposition
Having come into our clash in April just a point ahead of us, the Hammers have gone on a three-match winning run to climb into the top half of the U18 Premier League South table.
After edging past us at the Sobha Realty Training Centre, West Ham held on for a 2-1 win away to Tottenham Hotspur in another London derby success, before finishing their 3-2 win over Brighton on Saturday afternoon under similar pressure.
Close games are no new occurrence in the Irons’ season though, with eight of their last 11 games finishing level or decided by a single goal.
More often than not though, there is at least a goal between the Hammers and their opponents; in 25 league matches this season, the east London side have drawn just twice.
April’s Thriller
Owing to rearranged fixtures in the first half of the season, Tuesday’s meeting with West Ham will be our second in just 11 days.
April’s contest in north London was one of the more exciting games of the season, featuring seven goals in what ended up being a 4-3 win for the away side.
Our Gunners led 1-0 and 2-1 in the first half, twice pegged back by West Ham equalisers, before Andre Dike struck to put the Hammers in front with 25 minutes to play.
We looked to have rescued a point when Louis Zecevic-John converted from the penalty spot in the 82nd-minute, but the Irons had the final say, snatching all three points with a penalty of their own, converted by Dike in stoppage time.
Read more
U18s report: Arsenal 3-4 West Ham United
How to Follow
As ever, live updates will be available pre-match, during the game and post-match on our academy’s official X account.
Post-match, a full match report will be available on the Arsenal app and Arsenal.com, as well as highlights of all the key action and interviews with under-18s head coach Adam Birchall and one of our young Gunners.
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