This season's Premier League Cup groups and fixtures have been confirmed, as the Under-23 competition returns for the 2021/22 campaign.
Mirroring the format of the UEFA Champions League, the Premier League Cup consists of eight four-team groups, with each club playing their opposing teams both home and away.
It's the first PL Cup campaign since 2019/20, when the competition was curtailed in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it includes Academies from Categories 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Clubs in the third and fourth categories have been competing in qualifiers to join the top-level Academies in the group stage.
2021/22 Premier League Cup groups
| Group | Team 1 | Team 2 | Team 3 | Team 4 |
| A | Arsenal | AFC Bournemouth | Southampton | West Brom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | Blackburn | Middlesbrough | Nott'm Forest | QPR |
| C | Charlton | Derby | Norwich | Reading |
| D | Burnley | Everton | Peterborough | Sheff Utd |
| E | Leeds | Mansfield | Sunderland | Wigan |
| F | Exeter | Swansea | West Ham | Wolves |
| G | Birmingham | Huddersfield | Newcastle | Watford |
| H | Colchester | Fulham | Southend | Stoke |
See: All 2021/22 Premier League Cup fixtures
The Premier League Cup group stage kicks off on Thursday 2 September, when Arsenal host Southampton in Group A. Wolverhampton Wanderers entertain West Ham United on the following day.
The top two teams from each of the eight groups progress to the knockout stages, with one-off ties from the last 16 through to the final to determine the champions.