West Ham United U21s v Brighton & Hove Albion U21s
Premier League 2 Division 1, Rush Green Stadium, Monday 27 February 2023, 7pm GMT
West Ham United U21s will be hoping to keep a recent good run of form going when they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Rush Green Stadium on Monday.
Mark Robson's development team have picked up five wins in their last seven Premier League 2 matches, suffering defeat just once, and are eager to continue pulling away from the relegation places in Division 1.
With 18 points from 18 games played in the 14-team league, the Irons are sat in eleventh, but have the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Blackburn Rovers breathing down their necks in the race to move up the table.
Brighton, meanwhile, occupy ninth in the table. Two wins in their last three games has moved the Seagulls onto 22 points, providing some separation from the pack at the bottom of the division.
The Sussex side earned a hard-fought 3-2 home win against the Hammers in the reverse fixture back in October.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of Monday's match...
Tickets…
Admittance to Monday's Premier League 2 fixture is free for West Ham United Season Ticket Holders. Proof of Season Ticket status must be shown upon entry to Rush Green Stadium.
Tickets can also be purchased on the door, priced at £5 for Adults and £1 for U16s. Gates will open an hour before kick-off.
Travel…
Fans wishing to attend this U21s fixture by car should note that parking at Rush Green Stadium, situated at West Ham United's first-team training ground, is extremely limited and cannot be guaranteed. The postcode for Rush Green Stadium is RM7 0LU.
Supporters using public transport are advised to check their journeys before travel, with resources such as TfL's Journey Planner or the TfL Go app helping to plan your journey.
Supporters may also wish to visit the National Rail website to plan their journey if traveling on the rail network.
How To Follow…
We are delighted to confirm that Monday's game will be available to watch on our free live-steam. Coverage will begin five minutes before kick-off, at 6.55pm, on our YouTube channel.
Fans will also be able to follow all the action from the match in our live blog at whufc.com, which will begin one hour before kick-off at 6pm.
Match updates, including goals, will also be available as they happen on our Twitter feed.
Highlights from the Hammers’ match against Brighton & Hove Albion will also be made available after the match at whufc.com and on the official West Ham United YouTube channel shortly after, as will exclusive reaction from the fixture.
Team News…
Lead coach Mark Robson will be hoping defender Luizão is available for Monday's fixture. The 20-year-old Brazilian was withdrawn midway through the second-half of the 1-1 draw away to Arsenal a week ago due to a slight knock.
George Earthy was also substituted in that game because he was unable to continue, but the playmaker recovered to feature in the U18s' 4-2 FA Youth Cup quarter-final win over Ipswich Town on Wednesday, and will hopefully be available.
The likes of Kaelan Casey, Regan Clayton and Divin Mubama - who regularly play at development side level - also featured in that match for the U18s; a game which went into extra-time.
Mubama leads the way in goals scored for the U21s this season, netting eleven in all competitions, of which eight have been in Premier League 2 action. Advanced midfielder Kamarai Swyer has netted five.
Opposition…
After a slow start to 2023, Brighton are beginning to find their form once again.
Three successive defeats at the start of January had the Seagulls nervous for the second half of the 2022/23 season, but wins over Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers in the last few weeks have provided the Sussex side with some breathing room from the bottom of the division.
Sat in ninth in Premier League 2, Brighton's young players will be only too aware that a win at Rush Green Stadium would push them into the comfort of mid-table. Defeat to the Irons could drag them back into the scrap against the drop.
With 35 goals netted this season, Brighton are the third-best goalscorers in the division, behind only the top two; Manchester City and Chelsea.
Crucial to that form in front of the net has been the efforts of Republic of Ireland youngsters Andy Moran and Evan Ferguson. Playmaker Moran has scored seven goals and provided six assists in 15 matches for the U21s, while striker Ferguson has netted six times in nine games - a run of form which has seen the 18-year-old regularly feature for the Brighton first team since December, netting three goals in seven Premier League matches.
The young Seagulls are guided by head coach Shannon Ruth, who has not long been appointed to the role. The 31-year-old took the position in late September, having previously been assistant to Simon Rusk.
Ruth played at non-league level and began his coaching journey with Chelsea at 18-years-old, before later holding the Head Of Goalkeeping roles at Reading and Aldershot.
