2025–26 Professional U21 Development League
| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 15 August 2025 – 13 April 2026 |
| Matches | 126 |
| Goals | 460 (3.65 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Aaron Loupalo-Bi (Fulham U21s) (8 Goals) |
| Biggest home win | Brighton & Hove Albion U21s 4–0 West Bromwich Albion U21s (August 17) Manchester City U21s 4–0 Leicester City U21s (October 31) Leicester City U21s 6–2 Birmingham City U21s (7 Novebmber 2024) |
| 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 (7 Games) (18 August 2025 – 25 October 2025) |
| Longest unbeaten run | Ipswich Town U21s (8 Games) (15 August 2025 – 31 October 2025) Fulham U21s (15 August 2025 – Present) (8 Games) |
| Longest winless run | Derby County U21s (15 August 2025 – 31 October 2025) Reading U21s (15 August 2025 – Present) (8 Games) |
| Longest losing run | Derby County U21s 6 Games (15 August 2025 – 3 October 2025) |
← 2024–25 2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 6 December 2025. | |
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 absence 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 | Ipswich Town U21s | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 16 | +7 | 22 | Qualification to the Elimination Playoffs and Premier League International Cup |
| 2 | Manchester United U21s | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 11 | +8 | 21 | |
| 3 | Fulham U21s | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 13 | +10 | 18 | |
| 4 | Chelsea U21s | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 11 | +9 | 18 | |
| 5 | Southampton U21s | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 15 | +5 | 18 | |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur U21s | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 17 | +5 | 16 | |
| 7 | Stoke City U21s | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 13 | +4 | 16 | |
| 8 | Brighton & Hove Albion U21s | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 11 | +9 | 15 | |
| 9 | West Ham United U21s | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 12 | +6 | 15 | |
| 10 | Leicester City U21s | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 22 | +2 | 14 | |
| 11 | Wolverhampton Wanderers U21s | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 13 | +2 | 14 | |
| 12 | Crystal Palace U21s | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 13 | +1 | 14 | |
| 13 | Manchester City U21s | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 14 | +3 | 13 | Qualification to the Elimination Playoffs |
| 14 | Aston Villa U21s | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 16 | −1 | 13 | |
| 15 | Arsenal U21s | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 12 | +1 | 12 | |
| 16 | Everton U21s | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 15 | −1 | 12 | |
| 17 | Leeds United U21s | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 13 | +2 | 11 | Qualification to the PDL Playoffs |
| 18 | Norwich City U21s | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 15 | −1 | 11 | |
| 19 | Birmingham City U21s | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 20 | −5 | 11 | |
| 20 | Nottingham Forest U21s | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 12 | −1 | 10 | |
| 21 | Liverpool U21s | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 18 | 20 | −2 | 10 | |
| 22 | Blackburn Rovers U21s | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 19 | −6 | 8 | |
| 23 | Newcastle United U21s | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 20 | −8 | 8 | |
| 24 | Sunderland U21s | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 19 | 23 | −4 | 7 | |
| 25 | Middlesbrough U21s | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 13 | −2 | 6 | |
| 26 | Burnley U21s | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 18 | −6 | 6 | |
| 27 | West Bromwich Albion U21s | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 17 | −11 | 6 | |
| 28 | Derby County U21s | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 25 | −12 | 4 | |
| 29 | Reading U21s | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 21 | −14 | 3 |
Matches
Hat-tricks
- As of 8 November 2025
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shane Nti | Brighton & Hove Albion U21s | West Bromwich Albion U21s | 4–0 (A) | 17 August 2025 | [5] |
| Shumaira Mheuka | Chelsea U21s | Manchester City U21s | 3–1 (H) | 18 August 2025 | [6] |
| Trey Samuel-Ogunsuyi | Sunderland U21s | Tottenham Hotspur U21s | 3–5 (H) | 18 August 2025 | [7] |
| Zach Marsh | Crystal Palace U21s | Tottenham Hotspur U21s | 3–2 (A) | 22 August 2025 | [8] |
| Luca Williams-Barnett | Tottenham Hotspur U18s | Leicester City U21s | 3–6 (A) | 19 September 2025 | [9] |
| Josh Landers | West Ham United U21s | Brighton & Hove Albion U21s | 3–3 (H) | 26 September 2025 | [10] |
| Gabriele Biancheri | Manchester United U21s | Tottenham Hotspur U21s | 4–1 (H) | 25 October 2025 | [11] |
| Keyrol Figueroa | Liverpool U21s | Everton U21s | 4–1 (H) | 26 October 2025 | [12] |
Player of the Month
| Month | Player | Club | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| August | Shumaira Mheuka | Chelsea U21s | [13] |
| September | Lucá Williams-Barnett | Tottenham Hotspur U21s | [14] |
| October | Brandon Powell | Blackburn Rovers U21s | [15] |
| November | Farhaan Ali Wahid | Fulham U21s | [16] |
Professional Development League
| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 8 August 2025 – 21 April 2026 |
| Matches | 133 |
| Goals | 506 (3.8 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Adam Moseley (Wigan Athletic U21s) (14 Goals) |
| Biggest home win | Swansea City U21s 6–0 Huddersfield Town U21s (24 August 2025) Watford U21s 6–0 Colchester United U21s (4 November 2025) |
| Biggest away win | Coventry City U21s 0–9 Wigan Athletic U21s (21 October 2025) |
| Highest scoring | Coventry City U21s 0–9 Wigan Athletic U21s (21 October 2025) Watford U21s 5–4 Swansea City U21s (27 October 2025) Barnsley U21s 2–7 Wigan Athletic U21s (18 November 2025) |
| Longest winning run | (8 games) Sheffield United U21s (24 August 2025 – 14 October 2025) |
| Longest unbeaten run | (9 games) Sheffield United U21s (12 August 2025 – 14 October 2025) |
| Longest winless run | (11 games) Crewe Alexandra U21s (1 September 2025 – Present) |
| Longest losing run | (5 games) Huddersfield Town U21s (11 August 2025 – 9 September 2025) Sheffield Wednesday U21s (24 October 2025 – 25 November 2025) |
← 2024–25 2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 16 December 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,[17] Burnley U21s[18] returning after a three season absence and six total seasons and founding member Ipswich Town U21s[19] playing in the Premier League 2 for the very first time after 13 seasons. However, Huddersfield Town U21s[20] 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 | 14 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 16 | +18 | 34 | Qualification for #PL2/PDL Playoffs |
| 2 | Peterborough United U21s | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 36 | 21 | +15 | 31 | |
| 3 | AFC Bournemouth U21s | 13 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 26 | 21 | +5 | 24 | |
| 4 | Charlton Athletic U21s | 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 30 | 24 | +6 | 23 | |
| 5 | Watford U21s | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 31 | 30 | +1 | 22 | |
| 6 | Cardiff City U21s | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 26 | 13 | +13 | 21 | |
| 7 | Brentford U21s[a] | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 29 | 13 | +16 | 20 | |
| 8 | Hull City U21s | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 23 | 20 | +3 | 20 | |
| 9 | Huddersfield Town U21s | 14 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 20 | |
| 10 | Swansea City U21s | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 28 | 20 | +8 | 18 | |
| 11 | Queens Park Rangers U21s | 14 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 30 | 31 | −1 | 18 | |
| 12 | Millwall U21s | 13 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 22 | 25 | −3 | 18 | |
| 13 | Wigan Athletic U21s | 14 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 32 | 30 | +2 | 17 | |
| 14 | Coventry City U21s | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 21 | 26 | −5 | 16 | |
| 15 | Barnsley U21s | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 26 | 33 | −7 | 14 | |
| 16 | Bristol City U21s | 14 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 21 | 28 | −7 | 14 | |
| 17 | Sheffield Wednesday U21s | 15 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 20 | 36 | −16 | 12 | |
| 18 | Colchester United U21s | 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 16 | 31 | −15 | 11 | |
| 19 | Fleetwood Town U21s | 13 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 19 | −8 | 9 | |
| 20 | Crewe Alexandra U21s | 14 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 41 | −25 | 7 |
Notes:
Matches
Hat-tricks
- As of 8 November 2025
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jevan Beattie | Sheffield United U21s | Watford U21s | 5–0 (A) | 5 September 2025 | [22] |
| Adam Moseley4 | Wigan Athletic U21s | Tottenham Hotspur U18s | 5–2 (H) | 16 September 2025 | [23] |
| Louie Marsh | Sheffield United U21s | Barnsley U21s | 5–2 (H) | 14 October 2025 | [24] |
| Adam Moseley4 | Wigan Athletic U21s | Coventry City U21s | 9–0 (A) | 21 October 2025 | [25] |
| Cole Simms | Wigan Athletic U21s | Coventry City U21s | 9–0 (A) | 21 October 2025 | [26] |
| Adam Moseley4 | Wigan Athletic U21s | Barnsley U21s | 7–2 (A) | 17 November 2025 | [27] |
- Note
(H) – Home; (A) – Away
4 – player scored 4 goals
Knock-out stage
Semi-finals
| v | ||
|---|---|---|
| v | ||
|---|---|---|
Professional Development League National Final
| v | ||
|---|---|---|
References
- ^ "Premier League 2: Competition format explained". Premier League. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- ^ "Birmingham City Academy Awarded Category One Status". Birmingham City FC. 6 May 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ "ACADEMY ACHIEVES ELITE CATEGORY ONE STATUS". Burnley FC. 9 May 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ "ACADEMY AWARDED CATEGORY ONE STATUS". Ipswich Town FC. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ "U21S Match Summary: Brighton & Hove Albion v Crystal Palace". Premier League. 17 August 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "U21S Match Summary: Chelsea v Manchester City". Premier League. 18 August 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "U21S Match Summary: Sunderland v Tottenham Hotspur". Premier League. 18 August 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "U21S Match Summary: Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace". Premier League. 22 August 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "U21S Match Summary: Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur". Premier League. 19 September 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "U21S Match Summary: West Ham United v Brighton & Hove Albion". Premier League. 26 September 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "U21S Match Summary: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur". Premier League. 25 October 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "U21S Match Summary: Liverpool v Everton". Premier League. 26 October 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "Mheuka wins PL2 Player of the Month for August". premierleague.com. 12 September 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
- ^ "Williams-Barnett named PL2 Player of the Month for September". premierleague.com. 10 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Powell named PL2 Player of the Month for October". premierleague.com. 14 November 2025. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
- ^ "Fulham's Ali Wahid named PL2 Player of the Month for November". premierleague.com. 12 December 2025. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
- ^ "Birmingham City Academy Awarded Category One Status". Birmingham City FC. 6 May 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ "ACADEMY ACHIEVES ELITE CATEGORY ONE STATUS". Burnley FC. 9 May 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ "ACADEMY AWARDED CATEGORY ONE STATUS". Ipswich Town FC. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ "ACADEMY UPGRADED TO CATEGORY TWO STATUS". Huddersfield Town AFC. 9 May 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
- ^ "Premier League and Brentford sanction agreement". Premier League. 24 October 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
- ^ "U21S Match Summary: Watford v Sheffield United". Youth Hawk. 5 September 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "U21S Match Summary: Wigan Athletic v Swansea City". Youth Hawk. 16 September 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "U21S Match Summary: Sheffield United v Barnsley". Youth Hawk. 14 October 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "U21S Match Summary: Coventry City v Wigan Athletic". Youth Hawk. 21 October 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "U21S Match Summary: Coventry City v Wigan Athletic". Youth Hawk. 21 October 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "U21S Match Summary: Barnsley v Wigan Athletic". Youth Hawk. 17 November 2025. Retrieved 19 November 2025.