Shorn of many regulars due to Monday’s FA Youth Cup final involvement, Patrick Vieira’s side fought hard and saw the majority of the ball, but fell behind to a goal in each half from the hosts.
Olivier Ntcham halved the deficit midway through the second period, but City were unable to find the crucial equaliser to wrestle a point as the hosts held on at Upton Park.
With only a few weeks of the season to go, the race for the u21 Premier League title remains compelling, and City are one of four or five teams who will still believe they have a good chance of getting their collective grip on the trophy come the end of the campaign.
City began the game five points off the top of the table, but with two games in hand on leaders and neighbours United – as well as the Manchester derby to come before the final points are totted up, so motivation was not in short supply under the Boleyn Ground floodlights.
Jason Wilcox’s u18 side are due in West London on Monday night to take on Chelsea in the second leg of the FA Youth Cup final, and that fixture loomed large over the line-up for this league clash on the opposite side of the capital.
The club’s philosophy of promoting up the age-groups means that many EDS regulars are still eligible for the Youth Cup, and the likes of Brandon Barker, Angelino, Pablo Maffeo and Kean Bryan were given the night off ahead of that crucial meeting at Stamford Bridge.
That all meant a total of four changes from the side that triumphed on penalties over Celtic in the International Premier League Cup last week.
Adam Drury came into bolster the defence, and there were starts for three u18s in the shape of Charlie Oliver, Javairo Dilrosun and Tom Holland.
City were forced to come from behind to see off Everton in their last league outing at this level, and once again they found themselves trailing to their hosts – this time after just 11 minutes. The Hammers lifted a cross into the area from the right hand side and Dan Potts was on hand to head home at the far stick.
However, this team possesses character as well as guile, and they sought to dominate possession and the pressure on a battling West Ham defence only increased as the half wore on.
Ashley Smith-Brown was the beneficiary of a well-worked corner routine but he couldn’t catch the ball with enough power, before Jorge Intima was desperately unlucky to see his effort cleared off the line by Potts with the keeper well-beaten.
George Glendon struck the ball against a limb of a desperate defender before Potts once again proved to be City’s nemesis – this time heading away Pozo’s goalbound shot.
Vieira’s men were controlling possession but the half time whistle blew without the crucial breakthrough, and just minutes after the restart the hosts doubled their advantage when Adam Drury turned a teasing cross into his own net past the fingers of the helpless Gunn.
Undeterred, City continued to probe but were unable to quite produce the killer ball, although James Horsfield drew a good save from Spiegel while there were half chances for Pozo and Ntcham.
It took until the 76th minute before City finally found the breakthrough the display deserved – Olivier Ntcham showing off expert control to trap a long ball before rounding the keeper to find the back of the net.
It sparked a late rally from City, who came close via a Tom Holland drive from the edge of the box which was deflected behind, while Pozo might have done better with an attempted curling shot from inside the area.
At the other end, Williams headed wide while Gunn was forced to pull off another great stop to deny Brown from adding his name to the scoresheet and virtually ending all City’s hopes of a point.
Time was against the young boys in blue as they poured forward and forced West Ham into conceding possession time and again. Pozo came agonisingly close in stoppage time with a beautiful free kick that flew inches wide from a full 25 yards before substitute Fernandes failed to find the target with an ambitious strike in the dying seconds.
In the end, it was not to be and Vieira will look forward to the chance to set things right against Spurs at the Academy Stadium next weekend.
