AcademyPremier League 2 format changes for 2023-24 confirmed

Having previously been split into two divisions, the league will now be comprised of a single division featuring the 26 clubs currently with ‘Category One’ academies, including Liverpool U21s.

The Premier League has announced the following rules for the new format:

• The teams will be divided into five pots based on performances over the past three seasons.
• Fixtures will be determined by a draw made according to clubs’ positions in the five seeded pots.
• There will be 20 matchweeks, with each team playing 20 regular-season matches throughout the season.
• Teams will play each club in their own seeding pot once, as well as three to five teams in all other pots either home or away.
• Results (three points for a win and one point for a draw) will generate a table ranking the 26 teams. After the regular season of 20 matchweeks has completed, the top 16 teams will qualify for a single elimination play-off.
• Teams will be drawn against each other based on their league positions, for example with the team finishing first facing the team that finished 16th. These will be one-off elimination matches with the higher-seeded team at home.
• In addition, the teams finishing the regular season in the top 12 will be invited to take part in the next season’s Premier League International Cup.

The 26 clubs at present are: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Derby County, Everton, Fulham, Leeds United, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Norwich City, Nottingham Forest, Reading, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Fixtures for the new season will be announced here on Liverpoolfc.com in due course.