Albion Under-21s have a Premier League Cup final within their reach as they take on Burnley in a semi-final clash on Monday evening (7pm).
The Baggies have beaten QPR and, most recently, AFC Bournemouth en route to the last four, where they’ll be aiming ot go one step further and replicate the club’s cup-winning triumph in 2022.
Already, Albion’s young pros have bettered their efforts from last year’s competition, where QPR defeated them at the quarter-final stage.
Last time out
Eseosa Sule's hat-trick helped Albion's youngsters book a spot in the final four of the competition with a 5-4 win at the expense of AFC Bournemouth in dramatic fashion last week.
Nine goals were scored at the Vitality Stadium, with the Baggies fighting back from 2-0 down to go in on level terms at the break before five further strikes crashed into the back of both nets in the second period.
Defenders George Shaw and Noah DuPont opened and closed the scoring for the visitors, respectively, with Sule notching his treble in between in what was a thoroughly entertaining contest.
Venue
As is the case with these remaining knockout matches, clubs are encouraged to host the matches at their main stadiums, and Monday’s tie is no exception.
The Baggies will face the Clarets at Turf Moor, which holds 21,944 fans.
Pre-match thoughts
Midfielder Matt Crowther has high hopes of reaching the Premier League Cup final.
The youngster has fought through the recovery process from a ruptured ankle ligament, which kept him out for three months, to return in time to help his team throughout the business end of the season.
Now fully fit, as he has been throughout the last handful of games, including the topsy-turvy semi-final slog on the South Coast, where Crowther logged the biggest distance out of any Albion player.
After labelling the tie as “massive”, the Men’s 2024/25 Academy Player of the Season hopes to steer his fellow teammates into a grandstand final with an impressive performance at the home of the Clarets on Monday evening.
He said: “Monday’s game gives us something massive to look forward to in the back end of the season. It’s a game that we’d love to get through and into the final.
“The quarter-final is the exact type of game you’d have wanted to play as a midfielder. Playing at the Vitality Stadium was a great experience, as it is to play any ground in this competition.
“There was a lot of space to run into, especially in midfield; it was a top experience. We had a bit of a slow start on the night, but we managed to get back in front and hold out together as a team.
“We showed what we’re about as a team, which was a really great thing for us.
“We’ve scored a lot of goals in this competition, and we always back ourselves on the attack. We’ve got pace and power to run forwards, and we create loads of chances.
“Whether it’s running behind with our attackers, or like myself, using those deep runs, we can create as much as possible. We want to do that in every game moving forward, and especially on Monday.
“I was out for three months with injury, which was really tough, but in the last few weeks against Bournemouth and Arsenal, I’ve been getting back up to speed. Now I’m feeling really good going into Burnley, and I hope to keep helping the team as much as possible.
“We all look back at the 2022 final when that group won it at The Hawthorns and all of the excitement around that. Some of the boys who are here now were actually ballboys on the night, and it’s those celebrations that we’re looking to replicate.
“We’ve had some really tough times at points of this season, but on the whole, we’ve been really solid, and we’ve deserved something to play for at the end of it. If that’s in the form of winning a trophy, then that would be amazing.
“We can’t always play at the big stadiums because of the level that we’re at, but with the Vitality Stadium last time and Turf Moor on Monday, they’re experiences to cherish. We’re in the position because of the effort that we’ve been putting in week in, week out, and there’s such a buzz about being able to make a final this time around.”
How to follow
Supporters can keep up-to-date with Monday’s PL Cup match across the club’s social media channels, with half-time, full-time, and goal updates as they go in.
Reaction, the match report and highlights will be available on the club website in the days after the game.
