Preview | U18s back in league action following cup success

West Ham United U18s v Aston Villa U18s
U18 Premier League South, Little Heath Training Ground, Saturday 26 April 2025, 12noon BST

Just four days after becoming the first West Ham United youth team to win the U18 Premier League Cup, the triumphant young Hammers return to league action this Saturday as they host Aston Villa at Little Heath.

With the fixture coinciding with the U21s’ Premier League 2 play-off round of 16 tie at home to Sunderland, Saturday’s game may present opportunities for younger scholars, and perhaps even some U16 schoolboys, to test themselves against one of the strongest U18s sides in the country.

Aston Villa sit second in the South table, just a point behind leaders Southampton and with two games in-hand, so a title win is well within the visitors' grasp, but West Ham will be doing their best to dent those hopes.

How To Follow…

A report, post-match reaction and highlights will be available on the Club’s website and app following the final whistle.

Opposition…

Aston Villa U18s are enjoying a great season so far, with the best points-per-game record in the South division and have the chance to win their second FA Youth Cup title in four years when they face defending champions Manchester City in May.

A major contributor to their success this season has been their away form, picking up seven wins from eleven games on the road, the best away record in the league. Just two points currently separate the top five sides in Premier League South, and Villa remain firmly in contention for a place in the national final as they chase a first-ever Premier League South title, with two games in hand over their two closest rivals.

Previous Meeting...

Despite having the second-best defensive record in the league, the young Hammers scored three against Villa in the reverse fixture.

U18s top goalscorer Elisha Sowunmi netted his second hat-trick in three games as West Ham beat the then-league leaders Aston Villa 3-1 at Bodymoor Heath Training Ground.

Ones To Watch... 

At West Ham United since pre-academy, local boy Riley Hargan added Premier League Cup honours to his U15s Floodlit Cup title earlier this week. A technically gifted central midfielder with an excellent right foot, Hargan has started ten of the U18s’ last eleven league fixtures, registering three assists in his last four league outings.

For Aston Villa, Cole Brannigan has scored at least once in each of his last seven Premier League South appearances, including the reverse fixture against West Ham. The 17-year-old winger was signed from Linfield in 2023 and penned his first professional contract at the end of his first year as a scholar. A skilful and creative wide attacking player, Brannigan has also represented Northern Ireland at youth level.

The Story So Far...

West Ham United currently sit eleventh in U18 Premier League South table.

While our FA Youth Cup run ended in the third round at Grimsby Town, the young Hammers made history this season by becoming the first U18s age group to win the Premier League Cup for West Ham. Lauris Coggin’s side beat Reading 2-1 in front of a 2,000-strong crowd at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Tuesday night.

U18 Premier League South