West Ham United U23s return to Premier League 2 action on Monday against Tottenham Hotspur following the international break.
Mark Robson’s Hammers will host Spurs at Rush Green Stadium on Monday 4 April, with kick-off set for 7.00pm BST.
Read on for all you need to know about this upcoming Premier League 2 Division 1 fixture…
The story so far
Following a run of four league matches without a win, West Ham United U23s got back to victorious ways against Brighton & Hove Albion last time.
An entertaining 3-2 win over the Seagulls, played out at London Stadium, put the Irons back into second place in the league.
Mark Robson’s Irons are still eight points behind Manchester City at the top of the division but have two games in hand on the league leaders. While it is fair to say the ball is firmly in City’s court, the Irons have the opportunity to put pressure on the Manchester side with victory over Tottenham this Monday.
The match with Spurs is the beginning of a busy run of fixtures throughout April for the Hammers, who travel to take on Blackburn Rovers on Friday, face Leeds United in the Premier League Cup and then face Liverpool at Anfield on Easter Sunday.
The opposition
Much like the Irons, Tottenham Hotspur returned to winning ways in their last match after a run of difficult results.
The 3-1 win over Leicester City prior to the international break ended a run of seven league matches without a win for Spurs. Prior to defeating the Foxes, Tottenham’s last win had come against Manchester City in early December.
The north London side have been one of Premier League 2 Division 1’s most consistent goalscoring teams this campaign, however, netting 46 times in the competition, with only four clubs netting more than Tottenham.
Central to that has been the form of a number of individuals. Midfielder Harvey White has scored seven goals and provided seven assists at Premier League 2 level this season, while 17-year-old Alfie Devine has nine goals in 16 outings.
Winger Dilan Markanday had been the team’s top scorer, with 12 goals and seven assists in just 17 outings but completed a permanent transfer to Blackburn Rovers in January. Similarly, Nile John had also been in great form and has since earned a loan to Charlton Athletic.
Coached by Wayne Burnett, who has been head coach since 2017, Spurs will prove to be a tough test in Monday’s match.
Last time out
There were goals galore when the Hammers and Spurs met in the reverse fixture at the home of Stevenage FC back in October.
Pierre Ekwah, who netted an excellent finish in our most recent match against Brighton & Hove Albion, opened the scoring with a fabulous volley on seven minutes against Totttenham, only for Nile John to level for the home side just three minutes later.
Alfie Devine then ran through into a one-on-one position, giving Spurs a 2-1 lead on 16 minutes, before Dan Chesters rocketed home an equaliser for West Ham with only a quarter of the match played.
The goals kept coming when West Ham retook the lead on 26 minutes, going 3-2 ahead after Marques Muir turned Harrison Ashby’s cross into his own net, but Tottenham ensured a level score at half-time after John finished again; this time from the penalty spot.
The seventh – and decisive – goal of the game was scored on 49 minutes when Keenan Appiah-Forson was fouled in the Tottenham penalty area. Armstrong Okoflex stepped up to put West Ham 4-3 ahead.
You can check out highlights from the match here!
What they’re saying
Dan Chesters: “The reverse fixture was absolutely mental. I can remember in the first half it was just goal after goal after goal. I think six of the goals in the game were scored in that first half. It was end-to-end and it was insane.
“Obviously we then got the penalty in the second half which set us on the way to winning the game. It was a good win, but the game itself was mental.
“We know Spurs like to try and play good football and their attacking players are always a threat. We need to keep that in mind on Monday and learn from the reverse fixture.”
How can I follow?
West Ham United U23s’ match with Tottenham on Monday 4 April is being played behind closed doors and is only able to attend for Club officials and invited guests.
Fans can still follow all the action from Rush Green Stadium, however, by following our live coverage on whufc.com, which will begin at 6pm BST ahead of a 7pm kick-off. Reaction and highlights will also be available on Monday evening and Tuesday morning.
