Sonny Perkins says West Ham United U23s are eager to show their very best when they return to action away to Chelsea.
The developmental squad return to Premier League 2 action on Friday with a trip to face the Blues, and Perkins is optimistic the young Irons can get more points on the board in the race for the Division 1 title.
“I’m really looking forward to the match,” the striker told whufc.com. “West Ham versus Chelsea is always a big game. It’s under the lights on a Friday night too, which makes it even more interesting.
“We want to get back to winning ways and I don’t think there’s any better game to do that in than this Friday’s match. It’s obviously a London derby too, which adds an extra layer. We’re all excited for it and we want to get the win.”
Recent results have gone against the Hammers with defeats away to Manchester City and Manchester United in recent weeks leaving them in third in the table.
The most recent match, away to Blackburn Rovers, was supposed to be an opportunity for the U23s to showcase their quality, but a late postponement left the side waiting for a return to action.
Perkins says Friday’s game offers the chance the team has been waiting for.
He continued: “We just want to play like we know we can. On our day, I truly think we’re the best team in the league and we can beat anyone that stands in front of us. We want to prove that against Chelsea, who are another big club and are a good team themselves.
“We’ve had a couple of difficult results and tough weeks with the City game and the context of that defeat, and then the Blackburn game getting postponed as well.
“We’re desperate to get back out, get playing again, and get back to winning ways. We want to show what we can do when we’re at our best, and we want to do that away to Chelsea.”
Perkins has enjoyed his own progression throughout the 2021/22 campaign, having worked his way through the U18s into becoming a regular in the U23s and featuring in David Moyes’ first-team squad.
The 18-year-old is relishing his form for Mark Robson’s team and is aiming to earn even opportunities in the senior side.
“It’s not something I think about a lot but, when I do stop to think about it, it’s been a mad season,” Perkins added. “I remember saying at the start of the campaign that I wanted to push on and do everything I could to get to the first team, because that’s ultimately what we all want. I want to keep doing everything possible to do that. I want to just keep pushing forward.”
