Sunderland U21s v West Ham United U21s
Premier League 2, Eppleton Colliery Training Ground, Friday 29 August 2025, 7pm BST
West Ham United U21s will be aiming for their first Premier League 2 victory of the season when they travel to Eppleton Colliery Football Ground on Friday evening.
So far, our development squad have fallen to defeats against Premier League International Cup winners Nottingham Forest and reigning Premier League 2 champions Manchester City. In the National League Cup, however, they began with a confident 2-0 victory over Woking.
Friday’s game will be the fifth meeting with Sunderland since the start of the 2023/24 season, more than against any other side in that period, including two play-off encounters.
In 2023/24, West Ham won 2-0 at home in August 2023, but lost the play-off quarter-final 5-3 on penalties following a 3-3 draw in the North East in May 2024. The Hammers also won last season's regular-season meeting 1-0 at Rush Green Stadium in January this year, and followed that with a 3-1 home win in the play-off round of 16 in April.
Tickets...
Hammers fans based in the North East or who fancy a trip to the game can watch the U21s in action at Eppleton Colliery Football Ground by purchasing tickets HERE.
Admission is priced at £3 for Adults and £1 for Over-65s, U22s, U18s and U14s.
Travel...
Sunderland U21s and Women’s teams play at the Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground (Eppleton CW), also known as the Hetton Centre. The stadium postcode is DH5 9NE, and it is accessible by car and bus.
Parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis at Barnes Street, Barnes Street Church, and McMurchie Meat Ltd, with around 70 spaces in total.
Catering facilities are also available on-site.
How To Follow...
A live stream will be available across the Club’s website, app and YouTube channel. A match report and reaction will follow after the full-time whistle.
Premier League 2 Explained…
To minimise the impact of relegation on future groups of U21 players, the Premier League introduced a new format to its development phase competition in 2023/24.
Replacing the two-division system, the 29 Category One academies now compete in a single tier with 20 regular season fixtures before the top 16 seeded teams advance to single-elimination play-offs.
Regular season fixtures are determined by a draw made according to clubs’ performances over the last three seasons. Each team plays 20 different opponents before the play-offs in April and May, where they will be drawn against each other based on league positions, with the higher seeded team playing at home. The top 16 are also rewarded with a place in the following season’s Premier League International Cup competition.
New for this season, the eight clubs finishing between 17th and 24th will enter a cross-category play-off competition alongside the top eight teams from the Professional Development League (Category Two). This competition will also feature a knockout format, starting with a round of 16.
Opposition...
Sunderland U21s have scored five times in their opening two games, the third-best tally of any of the 29 sides, but are still searching for their first Premier League 2 points, having conceded eight goals at the other end. The Black Cats kicked off with a 5-3 home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur, then lost 3-2 at Southampton.
They did, however, kick off their National League Cup campaign with a dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Scunthorpe United, sealed by a late Jack Whittaker strike.
Recent meetings with West Ham suggest Friday will be a closely contested and physical fixture. The Hammers have won three of the last four encounters, with Sunderland’s most recent success coming on penalties in the 2024 Premier League 2 play-off quarter-final.
Ones To Watch…
Given Sunderland's goalscoring record this season, West Ham goalkeeper Finlay Herrick could have a busy evening between the sticks.
As well as his shot stopping, Herrick is a big part of the young Hammers’ attacking play, launching many of their moves with his excellent distribution and passing range. Last season’s Premier League 2 golden glove winner, Herrick, who has been a regular England youth international ever since earning his first cap at U16s, will be looking to impress once again with the first international break just around the corner.
Representing the GK union 🧤
Finlay Herrick’s seven clean sheets helped him become the only goalkeeper nominated for the #PL2 Player of the Season ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/KPAiT5JvWY— PL Youth (@PLYouth) May 8, 2025
One of Sunderland's in-front men is Trey Ogunsuyi. Still only 18, his record in Premier League 2 speaks for himself, scoring 14 goals in just 16 appearances since making his debut in the play-offs in 2024 when the Black Cats reached the final.
He opened his account with a hat-trick on the opening day of this season against Tottenham Hotspur. Making his first-team debut off the bench in the FA Cup last season, Ogunsuyi has been involved in the first-team picture throughout pre-season. At the Academy of Light since the age of ten, he extended his contract at Sunderland ahead of the new season.
The Story So Far...
Our U21s, who have finished inside the top four in each of the past two seasons in the 26-team division (expanded to 29 this year with the addition of Ipswich Town, Birmingham City and Burnley) opened their account for the 2025/26 Premier League 2 campaign with defeats against the reigning Premier League International Cup champions, Nottingham Forest and reigning Premier League 2 champions Manchester City.
Prior to that, they picked up a 2-0 win in their National League Cup opener at Woking, courtesy of goals from Lewis Orford and Mohamadou Kanté.
