West Brom and Wolves included but Aston Villa absent from newly created Premier League competition

Aston Villa will not take part in a new competition organised by the Premier League and the National League.

A 32-team competition, which is akin to the EFL Trophy has been created, and it involves clubs in the Premier League and the National League, which is the fifth tier of English football. 

It begins in October, and is a midweek competition which will have a group stage with the two best-placed teams reaching the knockout round. Four groups of eight teams will play, and the matches will be played against non-league opposition, and at their home grounds. 

The combined prize fund for the competition is £1m, and that money will only be distributed to National League clubs. Fixtures for the National League Cup will begin in the first week of October, and the final will be played in early April. 

A total of 16 clubs from the Premier League 2, and 16 from the National League are involved, but Aston Villa will not be participating. Villa’s academy teams are already involved in several other competitions. Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool are not in the National League Cup either, as the competition runs at the same time as the UEFA Youth League.

There is representation from the West Midlands in the form of West Brom, and Wolves however. Wolves have been placed in Group B, and they will play against the likes of Altrincham, Forest Green Rovers, Oldham Athletic, and Rochdale. As for the Baggies, their academy is of the category of a Premier League team, and they will go up against the likes of Braintree Town, Dagenham & Redbridge, Ebbsfleet United, and Sutton United.

West Brom National League Cup fixtures

Ebbsfleet United (A) - Tuesday, October 1 at 7.00 pm.

Dagenham & Redbridge (A) - Tuesday, November 5 at 7.45 pm.

Braintree Town (A) - Tuesday, December 3 at 7.30 pm.

Sutton United (A) - Tuesday, January 21 at 7.30 pm.