Arsenal have received confirmation of their Premier League 2 fixtures for the forthcoming 2023-24 season.

The club’s U21s will kick-off their PL2 campaign against West Ham United on Friday, August 11, under the lights at Meadow Park in a 7pm kick-off.

The talented Yoiung Guns face last year's PL2 winners Manchester City on Friday, November 3 at Meadow Park, while the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur will take place on Friday, March 8, also at Meadow Park.

Mehmet Ali's side will finish their campaign on the road against Liverpool on Sunday, April 28, in a 1pm kick-off.

Ahead of the new season, our under-21s will be competing in a new-look Premier League 2 which features a new format.

Here is everything you need to know about what is in store for Ali's side next term according to detailed guidance from Arsenal: 

How have things changed?

Previously, the 25 clubs with Category One academies were split into two divisions. Teams played each other on a traditional home-and-away basis, with two clubs relegated and two promoted.

From next season however, the current 26 clubs that currently have Category One academy status will be placed in one division - in what is known as a Swiss-model, due to be utilised in the Champions League from 2024/25 onwards.

How will it work?

The teams will be divided into five pots based on performances over the past three seasons, with fixtures determined by a draw made according to clubs’ positions in the five seeded pots. 

Each team will play 20 regular-season matches throughout the season - six fewer than we had during the 2022/23 campaign.

Teams will facing each club in their own seeding pot once, as well as three to five teams in all other pots either home or away, and the results of all the games will generate a table ranking the 26 teams.

After the regular season is completed, the top 16 teams will qualify for the play-offs. Teams will be drawn against each other based on their league positions (e.g. the team finishing first facing the team that finished 16th). These will be one-off elimination matches, with the higher-seeded team playing at home.  

In addition, the teams finishing in the top 12 will be invited to take part in the next season’s Premier League International Cup.

Why is this happening?

The changes came about after an extensive review of PDP competitions, and was voted through by shareholders at the Premier League's annual AGM. It is hoped the removal of relegation will help clubs make development-first decisions, and minimise the impact of relegation on future groups of under-21 players.

The play-offs will also involve up to 16 teams up from four, and give teams a greater breadth of fixtures, playing 20 different opponents compared with only 13 in Division 1 and only 10 in Division 2.

See Arsenal’s full Premier League 2 schedule below:

Arsenal v West Ham United

Friday, August 11. 7pm

Meadow Park

Arsenal v Leicester City

Friday, August 18. 7pm

Meadow Park

Nottingham Forest v Arsenal

Monday, August 28. 7pm

Meadow Lane, Notts County FC

Arsenal v Reading

Sunday, September 3. 12pm

Meadow Park

Manchester United v Arsenal

Saturday, September 23. 7pm

Carrington Training Complex

Everton v Arsenal

Friday, September 29. 7pm

Southport FC

Arsenal v Brighton & Hove Albion

Sunday, October 29. 2pm

Meadow Park

Arsenal v Manchester City

Friday, November 3. 7pm

Meadow Park

West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal

Monday, December 4. 7pm

Keys Park Stadium

Sunderland v Arsenal

Monday, December 18. 7pm

Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground

Arsenal v Middlesbrough

Friday, January 12. 7pm

Meadow Park

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal

Friday, January 26. 7pm

Kidderminster Harriers FC

Arsenal v Leeds United

Friday, February 9. 7pm

Meadow Park

Arsenal v Southampton

Friday, February 16. 7pm

Meadow Park

Chelsea v Arsenal

Friday, March 1. 7pm

Kingsmeadow Stadium

Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur

Friday, March 8. 7pm

Meadow Park

Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal

Saturday, March 16. 1pm

Lancashire FA

Stoke City v Arsenal

Monday, April 8. 7pm

Bet365 Stadium

Arsenal v Aston Villa

Monday, April 15. 7pm

Meadow Park

Liverpool v Arsenal

Sunday, April 28. 1pm

Liverpool FC Academy

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