# 2021–22 Professional U23 Development League

The 2021–22 Professional U23 Development League was the tenth season of the Professional Development League system.
Nottingham Forest U23s and Birmingham City U23s both gained category one status. Manchester City U23s were the defending champions and successfully defend the title. Leeds United U23s and Crystal Palace U23s were both promoted and Southampton U23s were relegated.

## Premier League 2
### Division 1
#### Table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Manchester City U23s (C) | 26 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 65 | 32 | +33 | 54 |
| 2 | West Ham United U23s | 26 | 15 | 3 | 8 | 59 | 39 | +20 | 48 |
| 3 | Arsenal U23s | 26 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 56 | 48 | +8 | 41 |
| 4 | Liverpool U23s | 26 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 47 | 37 | +10 | 40 |
| 5 | Manchester United U23s | 26 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 46 | 43 | +3 | 39 |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur U23s | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 49 | 45 | +4 | 37 |
| 7 | Leicester City U23s | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 38 | 53 | −15 | 37 |
| 8 | Crystal Palace U23s | 26 | 12 | 3 | 11 | 54 | 50 | +4 | 39 |
| 9 | Blackburn Rovers U23s | 26 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 50 | 56 | −6 | 35 |
| 10 | Brighton & Hove Albion U23s | 26 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 41 | 41 | 0 | 34 |
| 11 | Everton U23s | 26 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 33 | 54 | −21 | 29 |
| 12 | Chelsea U23s | 26 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 39 | 47 | −8 | 28 |
| 13 | Leeds United U23s (R) | 26 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 44 | 49 | −5 | 27 |
| 14 | Derby County U23s (R) | 26 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 31 | 58 | −27 | 15 |

#### Results

| Home \ Away | ARS | BLA | BHA | CHE | CRY | DER | EVE | LEE | LEI | LIV | MNC | MNU | TOT | WHU |
| Arsenal U23s | | 2–2 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 4–2 | 3–5 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 |
| Blackburn Rovers U23s | 2–3 | | 6–0 | 4–3 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–5 | 0–4 | 3–3 | 2–0 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion U23s | 1–1 | 4–1 | | 1–2 | 2–1 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
| Chelsea U23s | 1–6 | 0–1 | 1–1 | | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 5–0 | 4–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 |
| Crystal Palace U23s | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 3–2 | | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 4–3 | 2–4 |
| Derby County U23s | 1–1 | 6–0 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 2–3 | | 0–2 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 |
| Everton U23s | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | | 4–2 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 3–4 |
| Leeds United U23s | 2–4 | 4–4 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | | 1–3 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 2–4 | 2–2 |
| Leicester City U23s | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–6 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | | 0–4 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 2–1 |
| Liverpool U23s | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 3–0 | | 0–0 | 3–1 | 7–1 | 3–0 |
| Manchester City U23s | 2–2 | 4–2 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 7–0 | 3–2 | 5–0 | 0–0 | | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 |
| Manchester United U23s | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 5–2 | 3–0 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 2–4 | | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| Tottenham Hotspur U23s | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | | 3–4 |
| West Ham United U23s | 6–1 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 5–0 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 6–0 | 3–1 | |

### Division 2
#### Table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Fulham U23s (C, P) | 26 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 64 | 27 | +37 | 62 |
| 2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers U23s (P) | 26 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 46 | 37 | +9 | 47 |
| 3 | Stoke City U23s | 26 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 34 | 36 | −2 | 43 |
| 4 | Nottingham Forest U23s | 26 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 52 | 31 | +21 | 42 |
| 5 | Norwich City U23s | 26 | 12 | 3 | 11 | 64 | 52 | +12 | 39 |
| 6 | Burnley U23s | 26 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 46 | 39 | +7 | 39 |
| 7 | Southampton U23s | 26 | 12 | 3 | 11 | 45 | 42 | +3 | 39 |
| 8 | Newcastle United U23s | 26 | 12 | 2 | 12 | 51 | 56 | −5 | 38 |
| 9 | West Bromwich Albion U23s | 26 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 44 | 54 | −10 | 35 |
| 10 | Aston Villa U23s | 26 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 53 | 51 | +2 | 32 |
| 11 | Birmingham City U23s | 26 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 34 | 51 | −17 | 26 |
| 12 | Middlesbrough U23s | 26 | 8 | 2 | 16 | 31 | 50 | −19 | 26 |
| 13 | Sunderland U23s | 26 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 35 | 49 | −14 | 24 |
| 14 | Reading U23s | 26 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 32 | 56 | −24 | 23 |

#### Results

| Home \ Away | AST | BIR | BUR | FUL | MID | NEW | NOR | NOT | REA | STK | SOU | SUN | WBA | WOL |
| Aston Villa U23s | | 3–3 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 5–2 | 4–1 | 1–4 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 0–0 |
| Birmingham City U23s | 1–2 | | 1–2 | 1–3 | 4–2 | 0–4 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–2 |
| Burnley U23s | 2–1 | 1–1 | | 1–2 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 4–3 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
| Fulham U23s | 2–1 | 3–0 | 5–3 | | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 4–2 |
| Middlesbrough U23s | 1–2 | 0–3 | 0–3 | 0–0 | | 4–2 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 0–3 |
| Newcastle United U23s | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–6 | 4–1 | | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 4–3 | 2–3 |
| Norwich City U23s | 4–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 3–4 | | 4–2 | 5–2 | 0–1 | 4–3 | 1–1 | 2–5 | 0–2 |
| Nottingham Forest U23s | 4–1 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 3–2 | | 7–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 |
| Reading U23s | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–4 | 3–3 | 0–2 | | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 3–0 |
| Stoke City U23s | 0–8 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–4 | 1–0 | 1–2 | | 3–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 |
| Southampton U23s | 4–0 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 5–0 | 0–3 | 4–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–4 |
| Sunderland U23s | 1–3 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 3–4 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 3–4 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 3–2 | | 0–1 | 1–2 |
| West Bromwich Albion U23s | 2–1 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | | 0–4 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers U23s | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 0–5 | 1–0 | 4–3 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | |

##### Play-offs

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| 2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers U23s | 1 (p) | | | |
| 5 | Norwich City U23s | 1 | | | |
| 5 | Norwich City U23s | 1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers U23s | Wolverhampton Wanderers U23s | 2 |
| | | | Stoke City U23s | Stoke City U23s | 0 |
| 3 | Stoke City U23s | 2 | Stoke City U23s | Stoke City U23s | 0 |
| 4 | Nottingham Forest U23s | 0 | | | |

#### Final
## Professional Development League

The Professional Development League season is the tenth campaign of post-EPPP Under-23 football's second tier, designed for those academies with Category 2 status. A total of 17 teams are split regionally into north and south divisions, with each team facing opponents in their own region twice both home and away and opponents in the other region once resulting in 23 games for the North Division, and 24 games for the South Division. The sides finishing in the top two positions in both regions at the end of the season will progress to a knockout stage to determine the overall league champion. Birmingham City U23s are the defending national champions.
17 Teams competed in the league this season, a record low for the competition with 1 fewer team than last season. Birmingham City U23s, the defending national champions would leave the league after 9 seasons alongside Nottingham Forest U23s to join the Premier League 2 as Category One Academies. Both founding members of the league left after 9 seasons. Peterborough United U23s joined as a Category Two Academy joining the North Division.

### Tables
#### North Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Sheffield United U23s | 23 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 47 | 23 | +24 | 48 | Qualification for Knock-out stage |
| 2 | Coventry City U23s | 23 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 57 | 39 | +18 | 43 | Qualification for Knock-out stage |
| 3 | Hull City U23s | 23 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 44 | 41 | +3 | 40 | |
| 4 | Wigan Athletic U23s | 23 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 31 | 39 | −8 | 25 | |
| 5 | Crewe Alexandra U23s | 23 | 7 | 2 | 14 | 27 | 50 | −23 | 23 | |
| 6 | Peterborough United U23s | 23 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 36 | 41 | −5 | 22 | |
| 7 | Barnsley U23s | 23 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 22 | 42 | −20 | 22 | |
| 8 | Sheffield Wednesday U23s | 23 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 21 | 32 | −11 | 20 | |

#### South Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Ipswich Town U23s | 24 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 58 | 27 | +31 | 51 | Qualification for Knock-out stage |
| 2 | Bristol City U23s | 24 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 60 | 31 | +29 | 50 | Qualification for Knock-out stage |
| 3 | Cardiff City U23s | 24 | 15 | 2 | 7 | 44 | 30 | +14 | 47 | |
| 4 | Charlton Athletic U23s | 24 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 55 | 46 | +9 | 36 | |
| 5 | Millwall U23s | 24 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 34 | 45 | −11 | 30 | |
| 6 | Colchester United U23s | 24 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 35 | 44 | −9 | 29 | |
| 7 | Watford U23s | 24 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 28 | 43 | −15 | 25 | |
| 8 | Swansea City U23s | 24 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 34 | 41 | −7 | 24 | |
| 9 | Queens Park Rangers U23s | 24 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 34 | 53 | −19 | 24 | |

### Knock-out stage

Semi-finals
Final