EDS to begin 2025/26 Premier League 2 campaign with trip to Chelsea

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Manchester City F.C.

·5. August 2025

EDS to begin 2025/26 Premier League 2 campaign with trip to Chelsea

The fixtures for the 2025/26 Premier League 2 season have been confirmed.

And our defence of the Under-21 title will begin on Monday 18 August, which will see us travel to the capital when we take on Chelsea.

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Later that week, the Joie Stadium will host our first home game of the campaign when we face West Ham United on Friday 22 August.

To complete August’s fixtures, we face Manchester United away from home for a third successive season. The Manchester derby is set to take place at the Leigh Sports Stadium on Sunday 31 August.

Other notable fixtures include a first encounter with Burnley in our first game of 2026, a home tie with Liverpool in March and a debut clash with Birmingham City the following weekend.

Ipswich, Birmingham City and Burnley have been added to the PL2, which has expanded the league to 29 teams.

WATCH: Watch: How City won the Premier League 2

But this will not impact the format of the competition, with all teams still to play 20 league games, 10 home and 10 away, prior to the play-offs.

With Ipswich, we will also not face Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspur and West Bromwich Albion in the league phase.

More Premier League 2 games will be available to watch live on CITY+ throughout the season.

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Ben Wilkinson will lead the squad for a second successive season and will also oversee City’s fixtures in the Premier League International Cup, UEFA Youth League and EFL Trophy.

Wilkinson and his team have been hard at work at the City Football Academy since the start of July, preparing for what is expected to be another testing PL2 campaign as we look to lift a record-breaking fifth title.

Check out City’s full list of Premier League 2 fixtures below – please note all dates and kick-off times are subject to change.