Under-21s look to finish regular season on a high

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Shannon Ruth's side looking for their fifth PL2 win in seven against Aston Villa on Friday.

2026-04-03T13:10+01:00

Albion will be hoping to celebrate another victory in PL2 against Aston Villa on Friday. 📷James Boardman

Albion Under-21s host Aston Villa on Friday in their final regular-season fixture of the Premier League 2 campaign and head coach Shannon Ruth is looking for his side to carry their impressive recent form into the play-offs.

Albion head into the clash at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre with four wins in their last six games.

"I feel we’re in good form," Ruth said. "We’ve won four of our last six, drawn one and lost one, so I’m really pleased with how we’re finishing the season.

"A win tonight would put us in a positive place," Ruth explained. "One, in terms of form and momentum, but two we are still striving to finish as high as possible to try and get the most advantageous draw for the play-offs.

“Villa are also in good form and have games in hand below us. We’re going to do our best to make sure where we finish is in our hands."

Following tonight’s match, the squad will travel to Monaco for their annual friendly — a fixture that has become a staple of the U-21s calendar.

"It's an exciting friendly for the guys and something we’ve done every year," Ruth added. "By the time that comes around, we’ll hopefully know who we’ve got in the play-offs."