West Ham United Under 18s are looking to continue their superb run of form when they face local rivals Arsenal at Little Heath this Saturday.
Last weekend the Hammers extended their unbeaten start to the season with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion. Goals from Djair Parfitt-Williams, Jordan Brown and an own goal secured the Hammers' fourth win of the season and took them second in the Barclays U18 Premier League South table.
One of the Hammers' stand out performers this season has been ex-Arsenal striker Jordan Brown, who has netted six goals in seven games this season.
Speaking about their performance last Saturday, Under-18s manager Steve Potts said: "I think we got there in the end. Brighton made it difficult for us because they sat deep.
"In the second half we upped the tempo. Once we got our first goal we were okay, it put us in control and we could have scored more than three in the end."
The win saw the Hammers keep their second consecutive clean sheet, a feat the former defender is proud of.
He continued: "If I had to be critical of the team I would say that we've leaked too many goals. That made games difficult for us which we don't want. But we've got two clean sheets in the last two games which has been good and helped us get the maximum points."
Despite the good start, Potts believes there is still room for improvement: "We've talked about controlling the game more. We've had good spells in the game but we want to control the game for longer. We've asked the boys if they can maintain possession better, and when we do, can we make more of it?"
With Arsenal in such good form, having taken 14 points from their first seven games, Potts knows his team face a stern test.
"With Arsenal you always know it's going to be tough. They've spent quite a bit of money on their youth teams. They have quality and it'll be a very good test for our lads.
"The worry for me going down to Brighton was whether or not they'd be at the top of their games. Away from home against Brighton it was a tough one.
"This weekend we have Arsenal at home, the players won't need raising for the game, and they know it'll be a tough one. It's just down to whether they can perform or not."
West Ham United U18s play Arsenal at Little Heath on Saturday. Kick-off is at 11am and admission is FREE.