2025–26 Professional U21 Development League

Premier League 2
Season2025–26
Dates15 August 2025 – 13 April 2026
2026–27 →

The 2025–26 Premier League 2 will be the 14th season of the Professional Development League system. It will continue to use the same format as the previous 2 seasons.[1] 29 Category One Academies are competing this season, the most in league history. Three teams joined with Category One status with Birmingham City U21s[2], Burnley U21s[3] returning after a three season abscence and Ipswich Town U21s[4] playing in the Premier League 2 for the very first time.

Premier League 2

Table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Arsenal U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification to the Elimination Playoffs
and Premier League International Cup
2 Aston Villa U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Birmingham City U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Blackburn Rovers U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Brighton & Hove Albion U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 Burnley U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 Chelsea U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Crystal Palace U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Derby County U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 Everton U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 Fulham U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 Ipswich Town U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 Leeds United U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification to the Elimination Playoffs
14 Leicester City U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 Liverpool U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 Manchester City U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
17 Manchester United U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
18 Middlesbrough U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
19 Newcastle United U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
20 Norwich City U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
21 Nottingham Forest U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
22 Reading U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
23 Southampton U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
24 Stoke City U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25 Sunderland U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
26 Tottenham Hotspur U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
27 West Bromwich Albion U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
28 West Ham United U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
29 Wolverhampton Wanderers U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played: 15 August 2025. Source: Premier League 2 Table

Matches

Home \ Away ARS AVL BIR BLB BHA BUR CHE CRY DER EVE FUL IPS LEE LEI LIV MNC MNU MID NEW NOR NFO REA SOU STK SUN TOT WBA WHU WOL
Arsenal U21s —
Aston Villa U21s —
Birmingham City U21s —
Blackburn Rovers U21s —
Brighton & Hove Albion U21s —
Burnley U21s —
Chelsea U21s —
Crystal Palace U21s —
Derby County U21s —
Everton U21s —
Fulham U21s —
Ipswich Town U21s —
Leeds United U21s —
Leicester City U21s —
Liverpool U21s —
Manchester City U21s —
Manchester United U21s —
Middlesbrough U21s —
Newcastle United U21s —
Norwich City U21s —
Nottingham Forest U21s —
Reading U21s —
Southampton U21s —
Stoke City U21s —
Sunderland U21s —
Tottenham Hotspur U21s —
West Bromwich Albion U21s —
West Ham United U21s —
Wolverhampton Wanderers U21s —
First match(es) will be played: 15 August 2025. Source: Premier League 2 Results
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Professional Development League

Professional Development League 2
Season2025–26
Dates8 August 2025 – 21 April 2026
Matches played1
Goals scored5 (5 per match)
Biggest home winSwansea City U21s 3–2 Crewe Alexandra U21s
(8 August 2025)
Highest scoringSwansea City U21s 3–2 Crewe Alexandra U21s
(8 August 2025)
2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 8 August 2025.

The Professional Development League sometime known as the Professional Development League 2 is Under-21 football's second tier, designed for those academies with Category 2 status. The league is split regionally into north and south divisions, with each team facing opponents in their own region twice both home and away and opponents in the other region once resulting in 28 games played. The sides finishing in the top two positions in both regions at the end of the season will progress to a knockout stage to determine the overall league champion. Brentford U21s are the defending champions.

20 teams competed in the league this season, two fewer than the previous season. Three teams joined with Category One status with Birmingham City U21s[5], Burnley U21s[6] returning after a three season abscence and six total seasons and founding member Ipswich Town U21s[7] playing in the Premier League 2 for the very first time after 13 seasons. However, Huddersfield Town U21s[8] returned after being granted Category Two academy status after 7 years.

Tables

North Division

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Barnsley U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for Knock-out stage
2 Coventry City U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Fleetwood Town U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Huddersfield Town U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Hull City U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 Peterborough United U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 Sheffield United U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Sheffield Wednesday U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Wigan Athletic U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 Crewe Alexandra U21s 1 0 0 1 2 3 −1 0
Updated to match(es) played on 8 August 2025. Source: Professional Development League table

South Division

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Swansea City U21s 1 1 0 0 3 2 +1 3 Qualification for Knock-out stage
2 AFC Bournemouth U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Brentford U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Bristol City U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Cardiff City U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 Charlton Athletic U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 Colchester United U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Millwall U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Queens Park Rangers U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 Watford U21s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Updated to match(es) played on 8 August 2025. Source: Professional Development League table

Matches

Knock-out stage

Semi-finals

v
v

Professional Development League National Final

v

References

  1. ^ "Reformatting of Premier League 2 for 2023/24 explained". Premier League. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Birmingham City Academy Awarded Category One Status". Birmingham City FC. 6 May 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  3. ^ "ACADEMY ACHIEVES ELITE CATEGORY ONE STATUS". Burnley FC. 9 May 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  4. ^ "ACADEMY AWARDED CATEGORY ONE STATUS". Ipswich Town FC. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  5. ^ "Birmingham City Academy Awarded Category One Status". Birmingham City FC. 6 May 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  6. ^ "ACADEMY ACHIEVES ELITE CATEGORY ONE STATUS". Burnley FC. 9 May 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  7. ^ "ACADEMY AWARDED CATEGORY ONE STATUS". Ipswich Town FC. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  8. ^ "ACADEMY UPGRADED TO CATEGORY TWO STATUS". Huddersfield Town AFC. 9 May 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
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