Wolverhampton Wanderers U21s v West Ham United U21s
Premier League 2, Aggborough Stadium, Monday 20 March, 7pm GMT
West Ham United U21s return from a 17-day break from competitive football with a trip to face Wolverhampton Wanderers U21s.
The Hammers head into Monday’s fixture on the back of a disappointing home defeat at the hands of league leaders Manchester City but have won six of their last nine Premier League 2 matches.
Mark Robson’s development side sit on 21 points from 20 matches played this season, putting the Irons eleventh in the 14-team table.
Wolves also have 21 points, having played one game fewer than West Ham, and occupy tenth in the league thanks to a marginally better goal difference.
It was a home 3-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, at the start of November, that kickstarted the Irons’ recent good form, and the young side will be eager to get back to winning ways on Monday.
Read on for everything you need to know about this fixture…
Tickets…
West Ham supporters can purchase their tickets for this Premier League 2 match online through Kidderminster Harriers here. Alternatively, tickets can be purchased on the evening.
Adult entrance costs £4 while 16-21s and over 65s can attend the fixture for £2. U16s, meanwhile, can attend the fixture for free, but must still be issued a ticket.
Travel…
Supporters travelling by car should note that tickets must be purchased in advance of Monday’s fixture, while Aggborough Stadium operates as a cashless venue.
The postcode is: DY10 1NB
The quickest route is to take the M40 and M42, before taking the exit onto Birmingham Road/A38. Turn right onto Kidderminster Road/A448 and follow the road for nine miles into Kidderminster. Aggborough Stadium is on the left, on Hoo Road.
For fans utilising the railway services, Kidderminster Station is just half-a-mile from the Stadium. Walk down Comberton Hill towards the town centre, and turn left just before the Motorway Tyres.
How To Follow…
Fans will also be able to follow all the action 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 Wolves 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…
The development team have been without defensive duo Michael Forbes and Junior Robinson in recent weeks, and lead coach Robson will be hopeful that the pair are closing in on a return to fitness.
In Robinson’s absence, Dan Chesters has taken on the right wing-back position, a role the 20-year-old is likely to continue in against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Striker Divin Mubama will be eager to continue the run of form that saw him nominated for two consecutive Premier League 2 Player of the Month awards. The 18-year-old has scored in every Premier League 2 match since the start of 2023, with nine goals in seven games.
Opposition…
Wolves only sit one place above West Ham United in the Premier League 2 Division 1 table; the two sides separated by the most marginal of goal difference.
Like the Hammers, Wolverhampton Wanderers have six wins so far this season, but those victories have come in short bursts.
The first two, over Blackburn Rovers and Brighton & Hove Albion, were in the opening three matches of the season. The next were against Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City in October, before wins against the Foxes and Arsenal last month.
Crucially for the Midlands side, five of those wins have come against sides in and around them; in the bottom half of the Division 1 table. With the Irons in that mix, Wolves will be up for Monday’s match.
No individual player has stood out in terms of goalscoring this season but the finishes have been spread out amongst the squad. While Harvey Griffiths leads the way, with four strikes, he is one of 15 different goalscorers for Wolves in Premier League 2 this season.
With 24 goals scored, Wolves may sit in the bottom three of goalscoring sides in Premier League 2 this campaign, but just 35 conceded gives them the best defensive record of any team in the bottom half of the division.
The team are coached by James Collins. No, not former West Ham United and Wales international defender ‘Ginge’, but former Crewe Alexandra midfielder Collins. The 44-year-old took over the role in 2020.
