The draw for the Premier League Cup has been announced with Brentford put into the same group as Burnley, Fulham and Leicester City.
The Premier League Cup was introduced in 2013/14 to enhance the competitiveness of the Professional Development Phase calendar with knockout football alongside the regular league campaign.
The competition is in the UEFA Champions League style, with 32 clubs in the main group stage from Premier League 2 as well as the Professional Development League.
Like Premier League 2, it will be contested between Under-21 teams, with each side allowed four over-age outfield players and one over-age goalkeeper.
Competition format
- Group stage The tournament will be split into eight groups of four clubs, with each team playing their opposing clubs home and away. The top two teams advance to the knockout stage.
- Knockout stage The last 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will all be one-off knockout ties. If the ties are level after 90 minutes, they go to extra-time and then penalties if the teams still can't be separated.
See: Premier League Cup: Format explained
Groups
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| Aston Villa | Blackburn |
| Brighton | Reading |
| Hull | Sheffield United |
| Swansea | West Brom |
| Group C | Group D |
|---|---|
| AFC Bournemouth | Chelsea |
| Charlton Athletic | Colchester United |
| Norwich City | Leeds United |
| Wolves | Luton Town |
| Group E | Group F |
|---|---|
| Bristol City | Fleetwood Town |
| Peterborough United | Huddersfield |
| Sunderland | Newcastle |
| Spurs | Nottingham Forest |
| Group G | Group H |
|---|---|
| Brentford | Birmingham |
| Burnley | Crystal Palace |
| Fulham | Ipswich Town |
| Leicester | Middlesbrough |
Schedule
Match round 1: 11-20 Sep
Match round 2: 6-9 Oct
Match round 3: 10-13 Nov
Match round 4: 8-11 Dec
Match round 5: 19-22 Jan
Match round 6: 2-5 Feb
Past Premier League Cup winners
2022/23 Brentford
2021/22 West Brom
2020/21 N/A*
2019/20 N/A**
2018/19 Everton
2017/18 Aston Villa
2016/17 Swansea City
2015/16 West Ham United
2014/15 Southampton
2013/14 Reading
*Competition did not take place
**Competition did not finish due to curtailment of season