West Ham U23s will be hoping to continue their impressive Premier League 2 Division 2 campaign as they host to Norwich City U23s on Monday evening at the Chigwell Construction Stadium. West Ham’s previous game at this stadium was a 2-0 victory over Manchester United in January and they’d be hoping for a similar result in their game against Norwich.
Dmitri Halajko and his squad will be looking to take maximum points from this fixture if they want to hold their position at the top of the PL2 table, with rivals Manchester United hot on their tails.
In the Hammers’ last outing, they were held to a draw at the London Stadium by a resilient Stoke City side. Having drawn two of their last three games, The Irons will be focussed on taking the game to their opposition, with the advantage of playing on home turf, where they remain unbeaten since October.
With 5 games remaining for the Hammers in the PL2 and their invincible record still intact, it is well within their reach to be crowned champions of the division without losing a single game.
Halajko’s Impressive Impact
This is a testament to the impact that head coach Halajko has had on this young side in such a short space of time. Having only joined the East London outfit in the summer leading up to the 2019/20 season, the 39-year-old coach inherited a West Ham U23s side that had finished 11th in the league in the 18/19 campaign, causing them to be relegated from Premier League 2 Division 1.
Throughout his debut season at the helm, he has managed to instil a winning mentality into his side and this combined with the hard work of his players has seen the Hammers fly to the top of the table.
The Opposition
Norwich come into this tie in 10th place, having lost their last league fixture 2-1 to Manchester United. The Canaries sit level on points with both Fulham and Reading, but with a game in hand on both, they will be looking to take advantage by picking up a result against the division’s top side.
A win for Norwich could see themselves inserted into a mid-table scrap, as they sit only 3 points behind 8th placed Swansea City.
Adarkwa’s Purple Patch
Irons Striker Sean Adarkwa has scored in each of his last 3 games, having come into the side following the departure of some key players in the January transfer window, the 19-year-old will be looking to continue his hot streak. Adarkwa has been given a well-timed run in the side after returning from a lengthy injury.
Eye on the Prize
Second placed Manchester United U23s travel to Stoke City on Monday night, with the Potteries in solid form, the Red Devils will know that any points dropped from this fixture could be fatal in their title challenge.
West Ham sit three points ahead of United, but the side from North West England have a game in hand. Having said that, the Hammers have a goal superior goal difference, so they sit with a slight advantage at this point in the season.
With the division title on the horizon, the focus of this Irons side will must not falter, but with the wind in their sails, they will be confident that they can complete that final push to finish top of the table.
