With the Premier League 2 regular season now complete, attention turns to the knockout stages, where the top 16 teams will battle it out for the title.
Liverpool secured their spot in the last 16 with a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa, edging out 17th-placed Leeds United by just two points. Manchester City returned to familiar territory at the top of the table, having missed out on last season’s playoffs following a 23rd-placed finish.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Man City
MCI
|
20 | +38 | 47 |
| 2 |
Fulham
FUL
|
20 | +19 | 45 |
| 3 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
20 | +21 | 38 |
| 4 |
West Ham
WHU
|
20 | +6 | 38 |
| 5 |
Man Utd
MUN
|
20 | +14 | 36 |
| 6 |
Crystal Palace
CRY
|
20 | +9 | 35 |
| 7 |
Southampton
SOU
|
20 | +7 | 34 |
| 8 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
20 | +6 | 33 |
| 9 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
20 | +2 | 32 |
| 10 |
Leicester
LEI
|
20 | +9 | 31 |
| 11 |
Brighton
BHA
|
20 | +17 | 30 |
| 12 |
Everton
EVE
|
20 | -2 | 29 |
| 13 |
Sunderland
SUN
|
20 | +13 | 28 |
| 14 |
Wolves
WOL
|
20 | -6 | 28 |
| 15 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
20 | +4 | 27 |
| 16 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
20 | -2 | 27 |
One of the biggest shocks is the absence of defending champions Tottenham Hotspur, who finished 22nd, just a year after topping the table and winning the playoff final to lift the trophy for the first time.
This is the second season of a new format for PL2, where there is only one division, with no promotion or relegation, and the title is decided by playoff matches rather than league position.
Click here to zoom in on image
Why was this change introduced?
The change came about after an extensive review of Player Development Programme (PDP) competitions. It was felt the removal of relegation introduced positive jeopardy, supporting clubs making development-first decisions, and minimising the impact of relegation on future groups of U21 players.
The new format would also give teams a greater breadth of fixtures, playing 20 different opponents, compared with only 13 in Division 1 and only 10 in Division 2 last season.
There is also an extra reward for the top 12 teams, who have qualified for next season's Premier League International Cup, getting the chance to take on other Under-23 sides from across Europe.
How do the PL2 playoffs work?
The teams are seeded according to their final positions. Manchester City have finished top of the table, and their reward is that their last-16 tie is against the bottom-ranked team still left in the competition, the 16th-placed Liverpool.
Similarly, second-placed Fulham will take on 15th-placed Nottingham Forest and third-placed Chelsea face 14th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers. The pairings continue in that format throughout the top 16, with the higher-placed team having home advantage in the one-legged ties.
Each of the ties will take place across 25-28 April. If a tie is level after 90 minutes, there will be extra-time, and then a penalty shootout if required.
TV Info - Broadcasters
How to follow the action
Every Premier League 2 and Under-18 Premier League match is covered on the Premier League app, with live match coverage, as well as all the need-to-know stats.
For more details, click on the link below.
Each club’s path to the final is mapped out below.
Last 16 (25-28 April)
Match 1: Man City v Liverpool
Match 2: Arsenal v Newcastle
Match 3: Man Utd v Everton
Match 4: West Ham v Sunderland
Match 5: Crystal Palace v Brighton
Match 6: Chelsea v Wolves
Match 7: Southampton v Leicester
Match 8: Fulham v Nottingham Forest
Quarter-finals (2-5 May)
Match 9: Winner 1 v Winner 2
Match 10: Winner 3 v Winner 4
Match 11: Winner 5 v Winner 6
Match 12: Winner 7 v Winner 8
Semi-finals (9-12 May)
Match 13: Winner 9 v Winner 10
Match 14: Winner 11 v Winner 12
Final (16-19 May)
Winner 13 v Winner 14