Brentford U21 dispatched QPR U21 4-0 under the lights of the Gtech Community Stadium as Romelle Donovan stole the show in the Professional Development League.
The 18-year-old has struggled for first-team minutes after signing from Birmingham over the summer, but was a cut above for the B team on Tuesday evening.
After tormenting the QPR backline in the early exchanges with direct dribbling and shooting, Donovan’s tenacity was rewarded with a superb solo goal before the half-hour mark. Receiving the ball from the right touchline, he cut on to his left, gliding past several defenders, before bending the ball past Charlie Warren.
The winger then set up the next two after the break, first delivering a corner for captain Josh Stephenson to head home, and then sending Iwan Morgan through to score with a curling strike.
Myles Peart-Harris made it four after tapping in Michael Olakigbe’s cross, capping off a ruthless Bees performance.
The host’s matchday squad was littered with first-team players, with Vitaly Janelt – who played a full 90 minutes – and Reiss Nelson starting, and Gustavo Nunes replacing Nelson at the break, who are all working their way back up to full fitness.
The PDL allows sides to field three outfield players over the age of 23, which Brentford took advantage of with Janelt and Nelson, 27 and 25 respectively.
Janelt showed his experience in midfield with an assured performance, while Nelson struggled to make an impact in what has been a disjointed start to his Brentford career since arriving in west London on loan from Arsenal.
QPR struggled to carve out any meaningful chances, overwhelmed by Brentford’s dominance and lacking the X factor of first-team experience.
The game marked the first west London derby between the two youth sides at the Gtech in front of fans, with the Bees securing a fifth consecutive league win, and redemption for losing to Rangers in the PL Cup final at Loftus Road last term, despite beating their rivals home and away in the league.
Springboard to the first team
The U21s matches provide crucial game time and a spotlight for talented youngsters bidding to break into the first team, especially in front of a crowd at the club’s main stadium.
A prime example is Benjamin Arthur, who played the full game with an assured performance at centre-back. He joined Brentford from Peterborough United in 2023, and has since progressed to the first team from the academy this season after a stellar 2024/25 campaign for the B team, making his professional debut in the Bees’ League Cup triumph over Aston Villa last month.
Before the game, head coach Sam Saunders was keen to point out how Arthur should be an inspiration for the rest of the squad. “He played in these games last season, he performed well, and now he’s stepped up to the first team,” he said.
“It’s exactly the kind of inspiration the boys should take into this derby. These matches matter, they shape you, and they can be a springboard to even bigger opportunities.”
The 20-year-old echoed this sentiment: “From day one, the B-team plan was clear: when I look back on the elite European men’s teams we faced, those experiences definitely helped me prepare for my debut.”
QPR’s development squad also boasts a clear pathway for their academy prospects to establish themselves in the senior side. Kieran Morgan joined in May 2024 after being released by Spurs and rapidly stepped up into the first team, making his debut in October 2024.
The midfielder had been a first-team regular since, earning a formal promotion at the start of the season after accumulating 1,800 senior minutes; the club’s requirement for players for official recognition as a senior player.
Rayan Kolli is another success story for the Rs’ academy. Part of the youth set-up since 2013, the 20-year-old has been a mainstay in the men’s squad since 2023, and even earned his first cap for Algeria over the recent international break.
Games like Tuesday, in front of a crowd, provide a platform for these starlets to thrive and make their mark.