2025–26 Professional U21 Development League

The 2025–26 Premier League 2 is the 14th season of the Professional Development League system. It continues to use the same format as the previous 2 seasons with a change from places 17 to 24.^[1] The sides finishing in the top eight positions of the Professional U21 Development League 2 at the end of the season will progress to a playoff stage against teams 17-24. 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

Season	2025–26
Dates	15 August 2025 – 13 April 2026
Matches played	83
Goals scored	312 (3.76 per match)
Top goalscorer	Aaron Loupalo-Bi (Fulham U21s) (6 Goals)
Biggest home win	Brighton & Hove Albion U21s 4–0 West Bromwich Albion U21s (August 17)
Biggest away win	Newcastle United U21s 0–5 Chelsea U21s (August 22)
Highest scoring	Leicester City U21s 3–6 Tottenham Hotspur U21s (September 19)
Longest winning run	Manchester United U21s (6 Games)
Longest unbeaten run	Ipswich Town U21s Manchester United Southampton U21s (6 Games)
Longest winless run	Blackburn Rovers U21s Derby County U21s Newcastle United U21s West Bromwich Albion U21s (6 Games)
Longest losing run	Derby County U21s 6 Games
← 2024–25 2026–27 → All statistics correct as of 5 October 2025.

Premier League 2

Table

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

Updated to match(es) played on 6 October 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	—	—	—	—	1–0	23 Jan	—	—	—	6 Feb	2–3	27 Feb	—	13 Mar	—	—	—	—	13 Feb	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	9 Jan	2–2	3–2
Aston Villa U21s	—	—	—	—	—	—	1–2	31 Oct	—	—	—	23 Jan	0–3	—	—	6 Mar	—	10 Apr	6 Feb	13 Mar	—	—	—	—	3–3	—	—	—	8 Nov
Birmingham City U21s	—	30 Jan	—	—	—	—	13 Feb	—	—	16 Jan	1–3	10 Apr	—	—	—	20 Mar	6 Mar	—	2–2	—	24 Oct	—	—	2–2	—	—	—	—	—
Blackburn Rovers U21s	—	2 Mar	26 Jan	—	0–4	—	—	6 Mar	10 Nov	—	—	—	—	—	—	27 Oct	—	1–1	—	—	12 Jan	—	—	—	—	16 Feb	—	23 Mar	—
Brighton & Hove Albion U21s	—	9 Jan	22 Feb	—	—	—	—	—	3–1	22 Mar	6 Mar	—	—	—	1 Feb	8 Nov	—	1–1	—	—	—	—	—	—	6 Feb	—	4–0	—	—
Burnley U21s	—	—	31 Oct	12 Apr	16 Mar	—	0–1	—	20 Feb	—	—	—	1–2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	30 Jan	—	—	0–3	16 Jan	—	—	1–2
Chelsea U21s	25 Oct	—	—	7 Feb	—	—	—	10 Jan	—	—	—	2–4	21 Feb	—	—	3–1	—	—	—	—	—	8 Nov	31 Jan	1–2	14 Mar	—	—	—	—
Crystal Palace U21s	13 Apr	—	3–1	—	—	—	—	—	26 Jan	—	16 Feb	—	3–2	—	—	—	—	9 Feb	27 Oct	—	—	—	—	7 Nov	2 Mar	—	—	—	16 Mar
Derby County U21s	0–1	16 Jan	0–3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0–2	—	13 Feb	—	20 Mar	—	31 Oct	30 Jan	—	—	—	9 Jan	—	—	6 Mar	—
Everton U21s	—	2–3	—	1–0	—	13 Feb	31 Oct	—	—	—	3–4	16 Mar	—	9 Jan	—	23 Jan	1–2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	20 Feb	—	—	—	—
Fulham U21s	—	—	—	—	—	27 Feb	10 Apr	—	24 Oct	—	—	—	—	—	1–1	—	16 Jan	23 Jan	—	—	13 Mar	—	—	—	—	8 Nov	2–0	6 Feb	—
Ipswich Town U21s	—	—	—	—	24 Oct	23 Mar	—	30 Jan	4–3	—	9 Jan	—	—	—	3–2	—	—	—	31 Oct	—	—	—	2–2	13 Feb	—	—	6 Mar	—	—
Leeds United U21s	1 Feb	—	—	—	3 Nov	—	—	—	—	—	—	2–3	—	13 Apr	—	—	13 Feb	—	—	1–0	8 Nov	—	—	17 Jan	—	16 Mar	—	28 Feb	—
Leicester City U21s	—	20 Mar	7 Nov	3–3	—	—	26 Jan	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	4–2	—	23 Feb	—	9 Mar	9 Feb	—	—	27 Oct	—	—	3–6	—	—	—
Liverpool U21s	18 Jan	—	—	—	—	2–3	—	22 Mar	—	26 Oct	—	—	25 Jan	—	—	—	1–2	1 Nov	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1 Mar	15 Feb	—	8 Mar
Manchester City U21s	—	—	—	—	—	10 Jan	—	—	—	—	—	—	7 Feb	31 Oct	13 Mar	—	—	—	—	10 Apr	27 Feb	3–0	3–3	—	—	—	—	3–1	20 Feb
Manchester United U21s	—	—	—	31 Oct	23 Jan	—	27 Feb	4–1	6 Feb	—	—	—	—	—	—	2–1	—	—	10 Apr	4–2	—	—	13 Mar	—	—	24 Oct	—	—	—
Middlesbrough U21s	—	—	2 Mar	—	—	—	—	—	—	0–1	—	18 Jan	—	—	—	—	0–1	—	—	7 Nov	—	5–2	—	16 Mar	—	16 Feb	—	2 Feb	24 Oct
Newcastle United U21s	—	—	—	13 Mar	27 Feb	8 Nov	0–5	—	—	—	20 Feb	—	—	—	—	—	—	9 Jan	—	2–3	—	—	1–2	—	—	1–4	—	—	30 Jan
Norwich City U21s	6 Mar	—	—	—	—	24 Oct	—	—	—	2–1	30 Jan	—	—	—	9 Jan	—	—	—	—	—	—	1–1	13 Feb	27 Feb	—	—	20 Mar	—	16 Jan
Nottingham Forest U21s	2–2	2–3	—	—	—	—	—	17 Jan	—	—	—	0–1	—	—	20 Feb	—	—	—	20 Mar	—	—	25 Jan	6 Mar	—	1 Nov	—	6 Feb	—	—
Reading U21s	23 Feb	—	—	19 Jan	—	—	—	—	13 Apr	9 Mar	1 Nov	—	10 Jan	0–0	—	—	20 Mar	—	1–1	—	—	—	—	7 Feb	—	—	—	—	—
Southampton U21s	7 Nov	—	—	—	16 Jan	2–1	—	—	4–1	27 Feb	—	—	20 Mar	—	8 Feb	—	—	20 Feb	—	—	—	—	—	—	3–2	—	26 Jan	—	—
Stoke City U21s	—	20 Feb	—	3–1	—	9 Mar	—	—	—	—	23 Mar	—	—	—	1–2	1 Feb	—	—	—	—	2–1	—	9 Jan	—	—	23 Jan	31 Oct	—	—
Sunderland U21s	23 Mar	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	7 Nov	9 Mar	2 Feb	—	6 Dec	—	—	16 Jan	—	—	16 Feb	—	25 Oct	—	3–5	—	2–4	—
Tottenham Hotspur U21s	—	—	6 Feb	—	—	—	—	2–3	—	30 Jan	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	6 Mar	—	20 Feb	1–0	—	31 Oct	—	—	—	1–0	9 Jan	10 Apr
West Bromwich Albion U21s	—	1–3	13 Mar	23 Feb	—	—	—	0–0	2 Mar	7 Nov	—	—	2–2	19 Jan	—	—	2 Feb	—	—	—	—	27 Oct	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
West Ham United U21s	—	24 Oct	3–0	—	3–3	—	16 Jan	23 Feb	—	—	—	—	—	16 Feb	7 Nov	—	—	—	—	23 Jan	0–1	13 Mar	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Wolverhampton Wanderers U21s	—	—	—	3–1	16 Feb	—	20 Mar	—	—	—	—	6 Feb	—	4–3	—	—	12 Jan	—	—	—	—	2 Mar	—	2–2	26 Jan	—	—	3 Nov	—

Updated to match(es) played on 6 October 2025. Source: Premier League 2 Results
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Player of the Month

Month	Player	Club	Ref.
August	Shumaira Mheuka	Chelsea U21s	[5]

Professional Development League

Professional Development League 2

Season	2025–26
Dates	8 August 2025 – 21 April 2026
Matches played	76
Goals scored	283 (3.72 per match)
Top goalscorer	Jevan Beattie (Sheffield United U21s) (7 Goals)
Biggest home win	Swansea City U21s 6–0 Huddersfield Town U21s (24 August 2025)
Biggest away win	Watford U21s 0–5 Sheffield United U21s (5 September 2025)
Highest scoring	Queens Park Rangers U21s 3–4 Coventry City U21s (12 August 2025) Wigan Athletic U21s 5–2 Swansea City U21s (16 August 2025) Barnsley U21s 3–4 Peterborough United U21s (7 October 2025) Wigan Athletic U21s 2–5 Huddersfield Town U21s (8 October 2025)
Longest winning run	(7 games) Sheffield United U21s (24 August 2025 – Present)
Longest unbeaten run	(8 games) Sheffield United U21s (12 August 2025 – Present)
Longest winless run	(7 games) Huddersfield Town U21s (11 August 2025 – 22 September 2025)
Longest losing run	(5 games) Huddersfield Town U21s (11 August 2025 – 9 September 2025)
← 2024–25 2026–27 → All statistics correct as of 8 October 2025.

The Professional Development League, sometimes known as the Professional Development League 2, is Under-21 football's second tier, designed for those academies with Category 2 status. The league, previously split regionally into north and south divisions, is now a single table with teams playing a geographically-aligned fixture schedule. The sides finishing in the top eight positions in both regions at the end of the season will progress to a playoff stage against Premier League 2 opposition. Brentford U21s are the defending champions.

20 teams compete in the league this season, two fewer than the previous season. Three teams joined with Category One status with Birmingham City U21s^[6], Burnley U21s^[7] returning after a three season abscence and six total seasons and founding member Ipswich Town U21s^[8] playing in the Premier League 2 for the very first time after 13 seasons. However, Huddersfield Town U21s^[9] returned after being granted Category Two academy status after 7 years.

Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Sheffield United U21s	8	7	1	0	21	6	+15	22	Qualification for #PL2/PDL Playoffs
2	AFC Bournemouth U21s	8	6	0	2	19	7	+12	18
3	Cardiff City U21s	8	5	2	1	19	7	+12	17
4	Peterborough United U21s	8	5	1	2	17	15	+2	16
5	Swansea City U21s	7	5	0	2	21	12	+9	15
6	Charlton Athletic U21s	7	4	2	1	18	10	+8	14
7	Brentford U21s	6	4	1	1	14	7	+7	13
8	Hull City U21s	8	3	4	1	15	12	+3	13
9	Coventry City U21s	7	4	0	3	17	12	+5	12
10	Watford U21s	9	3	3	3	15	17	−2	12
11	Colchester United U21s	9	3	1	5	14	20	−6	10
12	Fleetwood Town U21s	6	1	4	1	8	7	+1	7
13	Wigan Athletic U21s	8	2	1	5	12	23	−11	7
14	Barnsley U21s	7	1	3	3	14	15	−1	6
15	Queens Park Rangers U21s	6	1	3	2	11	15	−4	6
16	Millwall U21s	8	2	0	6	9	17	−8	6
17	Sheffield Wednesday U21s	7	1	2	4	9	16	−7	5
18	Crewe Alexandra U21s	9	1	2	6	13	25	−12	5
19	Bristol City U21s	8	1	1	6	8	18	−10	4
20	Huddersfield Town U21s	8	1	1	6	9	22	−13	4

Updated to match(es) played on 8 October 2025. Source: Professional Development League table

Matches

Home \ Away	BOU	BAR	BRE	BRI	CAR	CHA	COL	COV	CRE	FLE	HUD	HUL	MIL	PET	QPR	SHU	SHW	SWA	WIG	WAT
AFC Bournemouth U21s	—	16 Mar	9 Mar	26 Jan	2 Feb	12 Jan	4–1	—	30 Mar	—	3–0	—	23 Feb	0–1	20 Oct	—	3–0	4–1	—	1–0
Barnsley U21s	—	—	9 Dec	—	24 Mar	—	10 Apr	27 Feb	28 Oct	10 Feb	4 Nov	24 Feb	—	3–4	2–3	27 Jan	2–2	—	18 Nov	0–3
Brentford U21s	16 Nov	—	—	1 Feb	14 Oct	15 Feb	28 Feb	15 Mar	—	31 Mar	—	1–1	19 Oct	—	14 Oct	1–3	—	19 Jan	4–0	8 Nov
Bristol City U21s	14 Oct	2–2	28 Oct	—	20 Jan	1–2	10 Feb	—	17 Mar	—	31 Mar	—	4 Nov	1–2	24 Feb	—	2–1	13 Jan	—	10 Mar
Cardiff City U21s	28 Oct	—	27 Jan	2–1	—	10 Mar	24 Feb	9 Dec	—	17 Mar	—	31 Mar	4–0	—	4 Nov	1–1	—	10 Feb	1–2	13 Jan
Charlton Athletic U21s	9 Dec	1–1	4 Nov	3 Mar	18 Nov	—	27 Jan	—	3–3	—	17 Mar	—	3 Feb	31 Mar	31 Oct	—	5–0	23 Feb	—	21 Oct
Colchester United U21s	16 Jan	—	2–3	21 Oct	11 Nov	10 Oct	—	3–2	—	1–1	—	17 Mar	9 Jan	—	30 Jan	31 Mar	—	6 Mar	4–1	13 Feb
Coventry City U21s	3–2	5 Dec	—	2–0	—	23 Mar	—	—	13 Jan	10 Mar	27 Jan	2–3	14 Apr	5 Nov	—	24 Feb	3 Feb	0–1	21 Oct	—
Crewe Alexandra U21s	—	2 Feb	0–3	—	0–3	—	23 Mar	0–4	—	3 Nov	17 Nov	26 Jan	—	23 Feb	13 Apr	2–3	20 Oct	—	2 Mar	2–3
Fleetwood Town U21s	2 Dec	21 Oct	—	3–0	—	0–2	—	18 Nov	17 Feb	—	3 Mar	1–1	24 Mar	27 Jan	—	3 Feb	16 Dec	14 Apr	25 Nov	—
Huddersfield Town U21s	—	17 Feb	1–2	—	2–2	—	0–2	14 Oct	10 Mar	2 Dec	—	10 Feb	—	28 Oct	24 Mar	13 Jan	11 Nov	—	20 Jan	14 Apr
Hull City U21s	14 Apr	11 Nov	—	9 Dec	—	2–4	—	20 Jan	14 Oct	13 Jan	21 Oct	—	1–0	4–1	—	10 Mar	17 Feb	24 Mar	3 Feb	—
Millwall U21s	11 Nov	0–4	10 Feb	17 Feb	3 Mar	28 Oct	4–0	—	2–3	—	2–0	—	—	17 Mar	18 Nov	—	31 Mar	6 Jan	—	20 Jan
Peterborough United U21s	—	20 Jan	14 Apr	—	1–4	—	2–1	18 Feb	12 Nov	14 Oct	3 Feb	3 Mar	—	—	2–2	21 Oct	18 Nov	—	4–0	24 Mar
Queens Park Rangers U21s	10 Feb	—	13 Jan	11 Nov	17 Feb	20 Jan	28 Oct	3–4	—	2–2	—	1–1	10 Mar	—	—	17 Mar	—	0–4	27 Mar	10 Oct
Sheffield United U21s	23 Mar	14 Oct	—	14 Apr	—	3–1	—	10 Nov	20 Jan	28 Oct	3–1	18 Nov	2–0	10 Feb	—	—	3 Mar	21 Apr	17 Feb	—
Sheffield Wednesday U21s	—	9 Jan	20 Mar	—	10 Apr	—	3–0	27 Oct	6 Feb	16 Jan	20 Feb	31 Oct	—	6 Mar	25 Nov	0–1	—	—	11 Oct	3–3
Swansea City U21s	17 Feb	30 Mar	3 Dec	4–1	21 Oct	7 Nov	20 Nov	—	3–2	—	6–0	—	27 Jan	7 Apr	2 Mar	—	16 Mar	—	—	3 Feb
Wigan Athletic U21s	1–2	10 Mar	—	24 Mar	—	14 Apr	—	10 Feb	1–1	24 Feb	2–5	28 Oct	2 Dec	13 Jan	—	4 Nov	27 Jan	5–2	—	—
Watford U21s	3 Mar	—	24 Feb	17 Nov	0–2	9 Feb	4 Nov	27 Mar	—	1–1	—	2–2	3–1	—	27 Jan	0–5	—	27 Oct	13 Mar	—

Updated to match(es) played on 8 October 2025. Source: Professional Development League Results
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Knock-out stage

Semi-finals

	v

	v

Professional Development League National Final

	v