Albion Under-21s will look to continue their unbeaten start to life in the Premier League Cup when they travel to Brentford on Monday evening (ko 7pm).
The Baggies propelled themselves to the summit of Group E during their last game in the competition, which was just over a week ago.
Leigh Downing’s youngsters come into the fixture knowing that a strong end to the calendar year, where they’re set to complete their Premier League Cup group-stage matches, will safely secure a trip to the knockout rounds in 2026.
Here’s how the standings look ahead of Monday’s tie:
PL Cup | Group E Table
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goal difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albion | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| 2 | Exeter City | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 7 |
| 3 | Brentford | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | Luton Town | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -9 | 3 |
Last time out
The Baggies beat their West London opponents 1-0 in their most recent game in the competition.
Attacking midfielder Souleyman Mandey continued his fine form, scoring the only goal of the tie - while the Bees had Gustavo Nunes sent off towards the end of the first period.
Venue
Albion travel to Wheatsheaf Park, home of Brentford’s B team, on Monday night.
The 3,000-capacity stadium is based in Staines-upon-Thames and once belonged to Staines Town and Chelsea Women, before the Bees took over the ground in late 2023.
Pre-match thoughts
Youngster Charlie Blackshields has banked plenty of U21s experience so far during 2025/26.
The midfielder, who has started the Baggies’ last three fixtures across different competitions, signed most recently as a scholar in 2024 – and has since made his mark after stepping up from the U18s.
After a tough encounter with Spanish side Valencia last week in the International Cup, Downing's side come into Monday at the summit of PL Cup Group E, and Blackshields says there’s a lot of “momentum” within the squad.
He said: “As a team, we played well, especially in the second half of our last match against Valencia.
"In the first half, we were happy to come away with a clean sheet and to still be in the game at that point.
“We had a lot of chances in the second half, and we were unfortunate not to put any of them away. We were a bit hard done by with the goals, but it’s something to reflect on and go back to.
“The amount of chances that we’ve had, and over the last few games, it’s been a lot better.
“I’ve enjoyed getting a couple of starts in a variety of cup games and I try to take as much from every game as possible.
“I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s always a change in environment when you play and it’s very helpful for my progression playing against senior players and then against Valencia in midweek, who were very good technically.
“We’ve played against lots of different types of players, which is perfect for my progression. It’s been a challenge, but I’ve enjoyed it.
“Brentford were a really strong side first and foremost; I’d say the clean sheet was the highlight from the night. It was a tough situation to be in, but you have to adapt.
“We saw out the win, even though they were a very good team and we’re looking at building on our performances to create more chances and get more goals to win matches.
“We hope to get another win on the board and there’s a lot of positivity and momentum going into it – we want to end 2025 on a high.”
How to follow
There will be live updates across our social media channels for Monday's Premier League Cup tie with Brentford.
The full report, reaction and highlights from the match will be available on the website.
