2023–24 Professional U21 Development League
Football league season
| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Matches played | 273 (260 RS, 13 PO) |
| Goals scored | 1,093 (4 per match) (1026 RS, 67 PO) |
| Top goalscorer | Will Lankshear (18 goals) (3 playoffs) (21 total goals) |
| Biggest home win | Manchester United U21 10–1 Stoke City U21 |
| Biggest away win | Leeds United U21 1–7 Crystal Palace U21 Manchester City U21 0–6 Norwich City U21 Newcastle United U21 1–7 Chelsea U21 |
| Highest scoring | Manchester United U21 10-1 Stoke City U21 |
| Longest winning run | 11 Tottenham Hotspur U21 August 12, 2023- January 27, 2024 |
| Longest unbeaten run | 12 Tottenham Hotspur U21 August 12, 2023-February 17, 2024 |
| Longest losing run | 4 |
| Highest attendance | 3,040 Leeds United U21 2–5 West Ham United U21 August 25, 2023 |
← 2022–23 2024–25 → All statistics correct as of 19 March 2024. | |
The 2023–24 Professional U21 Development League is the 12th season of the Professional Development League system.
The Premier League 2 changed format for 2023–24 with one division instead of two.[1]
Reading regained Category One status in the summer.[2]
Premier League 2
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tottenham Hotspur U21 (C) | 20 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 54 | 28 | +26 | 46 | Qualification to the Elimination Playoffs and Premier League International Cup |
| 2 | West Ham United U21 | 20 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 53 | 29 | +24 | 42 | |
| 3 | Fulham U21 | 20 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 52 | 30 | +22 | 38 | |
| 4 | Chelsea U21 | 20 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 53 | 32 | +21 | 36 | |
| 5 | Arsenal U21 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 47 | 33 | +14 | 36 | |
| 6 | Reading U21 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 35 | 35 | 0 | 35 | |
| 7 | Sunderland U21 | 20 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 45 | 32 | +13 | 34 | |
| 8 | Liverpool U21 | 20 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 34 | 27 | +7 | 33 | |
| 9 | Crystal Palace U21 | 20 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 49 | 42 | +7 | 31 | |
| 10 | Wolverhampton Wanderers U21 | 20 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 39 | 36 | +3 | 31 | |
| 11 | Middlesbrough U21 | 20 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 38 | 39 | −1 | 31 | |
| 12 | Manchester United U21 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 56 | 43 | +13 | 29 | |
| 13 | Brighton & Hove Albion U21 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 35 | 38 | −3 | 29 | Qualification to the Elimination Playoffs |
| 14 | Nottingham Forest U21 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 30 | 33 | −3 | 28 | |
| 15 | Blackburn Rovers U21 | 20 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 41 | 58 | −17 | 27 | |
| 16 | Aston Villa U21 | 20 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 40 | 48 | −8 | 25 | |
| 17 | Southampton U21 | 20 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 43 | 47 | −4 | 24 | |
| 18 | Norwich City U21 | 20 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 43 | 42 | +1 | 23 | |
| 19 | Stoke City U21 | 20 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 38 | 55 | −17 | 23 | |
| 20 | Leicester City U21 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 33 | 41 | −8 | 20 | |
| 21 | West Bromwich Albion U21 | 20 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 24 | 36 | −12 | 19 | |
| 22 | Newcastle United U21 | 20 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 29 | 46 | −17 | 19 | |
| 23 | Manchester City U21 | 20 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 32 | 50 | −18 | 18 | |
| 24 | Leeds United U21 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 28 | 48 | −20 | 18 | |
| 25 | Everton U21 | 20 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 25 | 40 | −15 | 17 | |
| 26 | Derby County U21 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 30 | 38 | −8 | 16 |
Source: Premier League 2 Table
(C) Champions
(C) Champions
Results
| Home \ Away | ARS | AVL | BLB | BHA | CHE | CRY | DER | EVE | FUL | LEE | LEI | LIV | MNC | MNU | MID | NEW | NOR | NFO | REA | SOU | STK | SUN | TOT | WBA | WHU | WOL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal U21 | — | 3–5 | — | 6–3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1–1 | 4–1 | — | 3–3 | — | 1–0 | — | — | — | 3–0 | 4–2 | — | — | 1–1 | — | 3–0 | — |
| Aston Villa U21 | — | — | — | — | 0–4 | — | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | — | 2–2 | — | — | — | 4–0 | — | 1–4 | — | — | — | 2–2[a] | 2–3 | — | 0–3 | — | — |
| Blackburn Rovers U21 | 2–2 | 2–3 | — | — | — | 3–3 | — | — | — | — | 4–1 | 1–0 | — | 2–5 | — | 2–1 | — | — | — | — | 3–6 | 0–4 | — | — | 1–3 | — |
| Brighton & Hove Albion U21 | — | 2–1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2–4 | 0–0 | 4–2 | — | — | — | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–3 | — | — | — | — | 2–1 | 1–4 | — |
| Chelsea U21 | 2–4 | — | 6–1 | 2–3 | — | — | — | — | 2–2 | — | 1–1 | — | — | 3–2 | — | — | — | 2–3 | 3–2 | 2–0 | — | — | — | 3–0 | — | — |
| Crystal Palace U21 | — | 4–2 | — | 2–1 | 2–2 | — | — | 0–0 | 2–5 | — | — | 2–4 | — | 3–2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5–0[b] | 3–0 | 1–5 | — |
| Derby County U21 | — | — | 1–3 | 2–3 | — | — | — | 3–0 | — | — | — | 1–1 | 4–2 | — | — | — | — | 0–1 | 5–1 | — | 1–2 | — | 0–2 | — | — | 1–2 |
| Everton U21 | 1–1 | — | 2–3 | 0–4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4–3 | — | 1–1 | — | — | — | 2–1 | 1–2 | — | 5–0 | — | — | — | 1–3 | — | 0–2 |
| Fulham U21 | — | — | 1–2 | 3–0 | — | — | 2–1 | — | — | — | 1–3 | — | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | — | — | — | 7–1 | 5–1 | — | — | 0–2 | — | — | — |
| Leeds United U21 | — | — | — | — | 0–2 | 1–7 | 3–0 | 1–1[c] | 3–5 | — | — | 2–2 | — | — | — | — | 0–2 | — | — | — | 2–1 | 1–3 | — | — | 2–5 | — |
| Leicester City U21 | — | — | — | — | — | 1–1[d] | 2–1 | — | — | 2–0 | — | — | 1–3 | — | 1–3 | 2–2[e] | 2–3 | — | — | 1–2 | 3–0 | — | — | — | — | 1–3 |
| Liverpool U21 | 0–2 | 0–2 | — | — | 2–1 | — | — | 4–0 | 2–0 | — | — | — | 2–0 | — | 1–4 | — | — | — | — | — | 3–1 | — | — | — | 0–4 | 2–0 |
| Manchester City U21 | — | 4–4 | — | — | 1–2 | 0–3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0–6 | 2–0 | — | — | — | 2–2 | 0–5 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 3–3 |
| Manchester United U21 | 2–4 | — | — | 1–1 | — | — | 2–4 | 3–1 | — | 1–2 | — | 0–3 | 2–1 | — | — | 3–2 | 4–2 | — | — | — | 10–1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Middlesbrough U21 | — | — | — | — | 1–3 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 2–2 | — | — | — | — | — | 3–2 | — | 3–2[f] | — | — | — | — | 4–1 | — | 1–2 | 0–1 | — | 3–2 |
| Newcastle United U21 | — | 0–1[g] | — | — | 1–7 | — | — | 1–0 | 1–3 | 0–2 | — | 1–2 | 0–4 | — | — | — | — | 1–1 | — | 5–3 | — | — | — | 3–2 | — | — |
| Norwich City U21 | — | — | 4–0 | — | 3–2 | — | — | — | 3–3 | — | — | — | — | — | 2–3 | — | — | 2–2 | — | 0–2 | — | — | 3–4 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 3–4 |
| Nottingham Forest U21 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–5 | — | — | 4–3 | — | — | — | 4–0 | — | — | — | 0–0 | 2–2 | — | — | — | 0–0[h] | — | — | 0–5 | — | — | — | 2–2 |
| Reading U21s | — | — | 7–2 | — | — | 2–0 | — | — | — | 3–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | — | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | — | — | — | — | 2–1 | — | — | — | — |
| Southampton U21 | — | 4–2 | — | — | — | 4–0 | 2–1 | — | — | — | — | 0–3 | — | 3–6[i] | — | — | — | 1–1 | 6–0 | — | 5–1 | 1–2 | 2–3 | — | — | — |
| Stoke City U21 | 2–2 | — | — | 4–3 | — | 1–3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5–1 | — | — | 1–2 | 4–2 | 3–1 | 0–2 | — | — | — | 0–2 | — | — | 2–1 |
| Sunderland U21 | 1–2 | — | — | 1–1 | — | — | 3–1 | — | — | — | 4–2[j] | 2–1 | — | 5–5 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | — | — | — | — | — | 2–4 | — | — | — |
| Tottenham Hotspur U21 | — | 5–3 | 4–0 | — | 4–2 | — | — | 1–2 | — | 1–0 | — | — | — | 2–2[k] | — | 4–1 | — | — | 2–2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1–1 | 5–1 |
| West Bromwich Albion U21 | 3–0[l] | — | 3–3 | — | — | — | 0–1 | — | 0–3 | 4–2 | — | — | — | 0–3 | — | — | — | — | 0–0 | 1–1 | — | 0–0 | — | — | 2–4 | — |
| West Ham United U21 | — | — | — | — | 0–2 | — | 3–2 | 3–1 | 0–3 | — | 1–3 | — | — | — | 5–0 | — | — | 3–1 | — | 3–3 | 3–1 | 2–0 | — | — | — | — |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers U21 | 2–1 | — | 1–2 | 1–1 | — | 3–2 | — | — | 2–3 | 2–0 | — | — | — | — | — | 2–2 | — | — | — | 2–1 | — | 1–2 | — | 3–0 | — | — |
- ^ Originally scheduled to be played on 1 December 2023, the Aston Villa match against Stoke City was postponed due to a frozen pitch.
- ^ Originally scheduled to be played on 9 February 2024 and then 29 March 2024, the Crystal Palace matches against Tottenham Hotspur were both postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
- ^ Originally scheduled to be played on 15 January 2024, the Leeds United match against Everton was postponed due to a frozen pitch.
- ^ The match between Leicester City and Crystal Palace was abandoned after 86 minutes due to an injury to Crystal Palace player Joe Sheridan. The Premier League confirmed that the result will stand.
- ^ On 3 November, the Leicester City match against Newcastle United was abandoned with the score at 2–2.
- ^ Originally scheduled to be played on 9 February 2024, the Middlesbrough match against Newcastle United was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
- ^ Originally scheduled to be played on 15 January 2024, the Newcastle United match against Aston Villa was postponed due to a frozen pitch.
- ^ Originally scheduled to be played on 9 February 2024, the Nottingham Forest match against Reading was postponed. The rescheduled game on 22 April 2024 was abandoned after an injury to Nottingham Forest player Ben Perry.
- ^ Originally scheduled to be played on 9 February 2024, the Southampton match against Manchester United was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
- ^ Originally scheduled to be played on 9 February 2024, the Sunderland match against Leicester City was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
- ^ Originally scheduled to be played on 2 December 2023, the Tottenham Hotspur match against Manchester United was postponed due to a frozen pitch.
- ^ Originally scheduled to be played on 1 December 2023, the West Bromwich Albion match against Arsenal was postponed due to a frozen pitch.
Elimination Playoffs
| Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Tottenham Hotspur U21 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Aston Villa U21 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Tottenham Hotspur U21 | 3 (5) | |||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Liverpool U21 | 3 (4) | |||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Liverpool U21 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Crystal Palace U21 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Tottenham Hotspur U21 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Chelsea U21 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Arsenal U21 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Manchester United U21 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Arsenal U21 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Chelsea U21 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Chelsea U21 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Brighton & Hove Albion U21 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Tottenham Hotspur U21 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Reading U21 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Middlesbrough U21 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Reading U21 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Nottingham Forest U21 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Fulham U21 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Nottingham Forest U21 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Reading U21 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Sunderland U21 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Sunderland U21 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Wolverhampton Wanderers U21 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Sunderland U21 | 3 (5) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | West Ham United U21 | 3 (3) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | West Ham United U21 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Blackburn Rovers U21 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
Round of 16
| Arsenal U21 | 6–2 | Manchester United U21 |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Chelsea U21 | 5–4 (a.e.t.) | Brighton & Hove Albion U21 |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| West Ham United U21 | 4–1 | Blackburn Rovers U21 |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Reading U21 | 2–0 | Middlesbrough U21 |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Liverpool U21 | 3–2 | Crystal Palace U21 |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Tottenham Hotspur U21 | 4–3 (a.e.t.) | Aston Villa U21 |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Sunderland U21 | 4–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers U21 |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Fulham U21 | 0–2 | Nottingham Forest U21 |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Quarterfinals
| Arsenal U21 | 2–3 | Chelsea U21 |
|---|---|---|
Lewis-Skelly  13' Butler-Oyedeji 55' | Report | Diego Moreira 45+2', 80', 90+5' |
| Reading U21 | 3–1 | Nottingham Forest U21 |
|---|---|---|
| Wareham 8' (pen.) Clarke 33', 67' | Report | Esapa Osong 38' |
| Tottenham Hotspur U21 | 3–3 (a.e.t.) | Liverpool U21 |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Penalties | ||
| 5–4[6] |
|
| Sunderland U21 | 3–3 (a.e.t.) | West Ham United U21 |
|---|---|---|
| Report | ||
| Penalties | ||
| 5–3[7] | ||
Semifinals
| Tottenham Hotspur U21 | 2–1 | Chelsea U21 |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Reading U21 | 3–4 (a.e.t.) | Sunderland U21 |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Final
Professional Development League
Football league season
| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Matches played | 310 |
| Goals scored | 1,189 (3.84 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Daniel Adu-Adjei, Patrick Casey (18 Goals) |
← 2022–23 2024–25 → | |
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 30 games played for the North Division, while the south division played 29 games. 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. Millwall are the defending champions while Bournemouth and Fleetwood Town join Category Two for the 2023-24 season.
Tables
North Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheffield United U21s | 30 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 83 | 34 | +49 | 63 | Qualification for Knock-out stage |
| 2 | Birmingham City U21s | 30 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 59 | 36 | +23 | 55 | |
| 3 | Sheffield Wednesday U21s | 30 | 16 | 6 | 8 | 58 | 34 | +24 | 54 | |
| 4 | Barnsley U21s | 30 | 17 | 3 | 10 | 65 | 44 | +21 | 54 | |
| 5 | Hull City U21s | 30 | 14 | 3 | 13 | 59 | 63 | −4 | 45 | |
| 6 | Burnley U21s | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 53 | 57 | −4 | 42 | |
| 7 | Fleetwood Town U21s | 30 | 13 | 3 | 14 | 48 | 58 | −10 | 42 | |
| 8 | Peterborough United U21s | 30 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 47 | 73 | −26 | 27 | |
| 9 | Wigan Athletic U21s | 30 | 7 | 5 | 18 | 44 | 66 | −22 | 26 | |
| 10 | Coventry City U21s | 30 | 7 | 5 | 18 | 41 | 67 | −26 | 26 | |
| 11 | Crewe Alexandra U21s | 30 | 5 | 4 | 21 | 37 | 90 | −53 | 19 |
Source: Professional Development League table
South Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Millwall U21s | 29 | 17 | 8 | 4 | 80 | 45 | +35 | 59 | Qualification for Knock-out stage |
| 2 | Swansea City U21s | 29 | 16 | 3 | 10 | 72 | 49 | +23 | 51 | |
| 3 | AFC Bournemouth U21s | 29 | 16 | 3 | 10 | 60 | 45 | +15 | 51 | |
| 4 | Queens Park Rangers U21s | 29 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 66 | 43 | +23 | 49 | |
| 5 | Ipswich Town U21s | 29 | 14 | 4 | 11 | 63 | 59 | +4 | 46 | |
| 6 | Watford U21s | 29 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 45 | 66 | −21 | 37 | |
| 7 | Bristol City U21s | 29 | 10 | 5 | 14 | 43 | 63 | −20 | 35 | |
| 8 | Charlton Athletic U21s | 29 | 9 | 4 | 16 | 63 | 64 | −1 | 31 | |
| 9 | Cardiff City U21s | 29 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 55 | 66 | −11 | 31 | |
| 10 | Colchester United U21s | 29 | 9 | 4 | 16 | 48 | 67 | −19 | 31 |
Source: Professional Development League table
Knock-out stage
Semi-finals
| Millwall U21s | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Birmingham City U21s |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Sheffield United U21s | 4–2 | Swansea City U21s |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Professional Development League National Final
See also
References
- ^ "Reformatting of Premier League 2 for 2023/24 explained". Premier League. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
- ^ "WE'RE BACK! OUR ACADEMY REGAINS CATEGORY ONE STATUS". Reading F.C. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ^ "U21s drawn against Chelsea in PL2 quarter-final". Arsenal F.C. 7 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ "U21 Quarter Final Details Confirmed". Reading F.C. 7 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ "Under-21s to host Liverpool at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – tickets available now". Tottenham Hotspur F.C. 7 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ "Under-21s march on after shoot-out success against Liverpool". Tottenham Hotspur F.C. 12 May 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- ^ "SAFC U21s 3-3 West Ham United U21s (5-3 pens)". Sunderland A.F.C. 13 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- ^ "PL2 play-offs: Quarter-finals confirmed". Sunderland A.F.C. 7 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ "Stoppage-time Nile John winner hands Under-21s victory over Chelsea". Tottenham Hotspur F.C. 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- ^ "Away derby for Under-21s in PL2 semis". Chelsea F.C. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ "PL2 Play-Off semi-final confirmed". Sunderland A.F.C. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "Millwall's Under 21s suffer extra-time Semi-Final defeat". Millwall F.C. 18 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- ^ "Dixon double sends Blues Under-21s into national final". Birmingham City F.C. 17 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- v
- t
- e
competitions
| Level 1 | |
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| Levels 2–4 | |
| Levels 5–6 | |
| Levels 7–8 | |
| Levels 9–10 |
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competitions
| FA cups | |
|---|---|
| EFL cups |
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competitions
| Under-21 |
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|---|---|
| Under-18 |
