- Man City take on Aston Villa on Friday night
- The winners of this one-legged tie advance to the semis
- City beat Villa 4-0 earlier this season
Defending Premier League 2 champions Manchester City under-21s face Aston Villa in the play-off quarter-finals on Friday night.
A 3-0 win against Norwich in their final league game meant Ben Wilkinson’s City under-21s finished the season third in the PL2 table.
The young Cityzens beat Arsenal 3-1 in their opening play-off fixture, setting up a quarter-final tie against Villa.
Ahead of Friday’s trip to Bodymoor Heath, we’re taking a closer look at how Wilkinson’s side got here, and what we can expect from the match.
How Manchester City under-21s reached the PL2 play-offs
Under the new PL2 format, 29 teams play 10 home and 10 away fixtures, with the top 16 advancing to the play-offs.
After a tough start and some inconsistent performances, City finished the season strongly with 13 wins, one draw and six losses.
A trip to the Midlands for #PL2 play-off action! 🤝 pic.twitter.com/WKxfEeLRma
— Manchester City Academy (@ManCityAcademy) April 30, 2026
That form helped the Sky Blues finish third, setting up a last-16 tie against Arsenal on home soil, which Wilkinson’s side won.
How do the PL2 play-offs work?
The PL2 champions are decided by four rounds of single-leg knockout matches, with City’s win against Arsenal decided by seedings based on league standings.
If the games are level after 90 minutes, extra time, followed by a penalty shootout, will be used to determine the winner.
Friday’s opponents Villa, who finished 11th in the table, beat Southampton 5-4 on penalties to advance to the last eight.
Manchester City’s PL2 play-off fixtures:
- Round of 16: Man City 3-1 Arsenal
- Quarter-finals: Friday 1 May – Aston Villa Vs Man City
- Semi-finals: Friday 8 May – Monday 11 May
- Final: Friday 15 May – Monday May
Man City will be hoping for a repeat performance
Reigning PL2 champions City have already beaten Aston Villa this season. A 4-0 win came after the Sky Blues scored twice in the opening four minutes.
Wilkinson’s side are one of the strongest in the competition, and will be heavy favourites despite travelling away from home.
The match will be available to watch via the club’s City+ subscription service, which streams academy fixtures online.
