Sunderland U18s v West Ham United U18s
U18 Premier League Cup Group E, Academy of Light Training Ground, Tuesday 26 August 2025, 11am BST
West Ham United U18s begin their Premier League Cup title defence on Tuesday morning, travelling north to face Sunderland at the Academy of Light Training Ground.
How To Follow…
A report and post-match reaction will be available on the Club’s website and app following the final whistle, with highlights to follow.
Opposition…
Sunderland U18s enjoyed a strong campaign last season, finishing in the top half of the Premier League North table. They were also the only side, other than West Ham, to defeat eventual Premier League Cup finalists Reading, with Armenian youth international Finn Geragusyan scoring both goals in that victory. In fact, they only failed to make it out of the group stage on goal difference, with the Royals edging top spot in Group C by just a single goal.
In previous editions of the competition, Sunderland have progressed beyond the group stage only once, in the inaugural 2017/18 season, when they reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual winners Chelsea. That year, they also faced West Ham in the group stage. In fact, this was the last competitive meeting between the sides, which ended in a 3-2 victory for Sunderland.
This season’s squad features 14 new scholars embarking on their first full-time campaign. So far, they have opened their Premier League North account with defeats against newcomers Burnley and defending champions Manchester City.
Tournament Rules...
The U18 Premier League Cup is made up of 32 teams divided into eight groups of four. With only the group winners and the best second-place team qualifying for the quarter-finals, every match carries significant weight.
This season, the young Hammers have been drawn in Group E and will travel to Sunderland and Ipswich Town as well as hosting Nottingham Forest, whom they beat 2-0 in their opening game last campaign.
Last Year's Winners...
A journey which started in August, Lauris Coggin's side qualified for the knockout stages last season as one of seven group winners, beating Nottingham Forest (also in Group E this year) and 2024/25 Premier League South runners-up Southampton at Little Heath Training Ground and securing a draw away at Everton.
In the quarter-finals, the young Hammers beat defending champions Manchester United on penalties before defeating Derby County 3-1 away in the semi-finals.
In the final against Reading, the young Hammers got off to the dream start in the first half courtesy of the competition’s top goalscorer Josh Ajala, who tapped home a flicked-on corner from close range to extinguish any early nerves. The hosts them equalised through Carter Bowdery's curling effort 16 minutes later to ensure the sides went in level at half-time in Berkshire.
It was a more muted affair in the second half, and just as it looked like the Hammers were heading for extra-time, Ajala scored again, this time meeting Elisha Sowunmi's cross to send the ball past Josh Welland to secure the Club’s first-ever U18 Premier League Cup title.
This Year’s Squad...
A total of 20 players featured for the Hammers during last season’s Cup run, including several U16s who have since stepped up to the U18s.
Among them were Tomas Jonyla, Joe Scanlon and Chukwuemeka Obi, who all appeared in the group stage as schoolboys and this summer signed their full-time scholarships.
From the title-winning squad, the following players remain eligible for this year’s competition as second-year scholars: Aaron Kamara and goalkeeper Lanre Awesu (both starters in the final), along with Lewis Beckford, Andre Dike, Chinaza Nwosu, Majid Balogun and David Chigwada.
Members of the U21s development squad Airidas Golambeckis, who started every game in last season's cup run, and goalkeeper Finley Hooper also remain eligible for U18s competitions.
