Arsenal u21s to face Manchester City in PL2 play-off | OneFootball

Arsenal under-21s now know the scale of their Premier League 2 play-off test, with a trip to Manchester City setting up another meeting with the side that ended last season’s run.

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Arsenal under-21s will travel to Manchester City in the Premier League 2 play-offs after Max Porter’s side was drawn against one of the competition’s strongest teams at home.

City confirmed that their Elite Development Squad will host Arsenal in the round of 16 at the Joie Stadium on the weekend of Friday 24 April to Monday 27 April, with the precise date and kick-off time still to be announced.

Arsenal’s route into the play-off came via a 14th-place finish, after eight wins, five draws and seven defeats yielded 28 points.

Porter’s side had already secured a play-off place before a 1-0 win over West Brom on the final weekend kept alive hopes of a higher seeding, but the final table has now sent them back to Manchester for a repeat of last season’s meeting.

City finished third under Ben Wilkinson, with 13 wins, one draw and six defeats producing 40 points. Their home record was especially strong, with nine of those victories and their only draw coming on their own ground, extending their unbeaten PL2 run at the Joie Stadium to more than a year.

Recent history on top of the existing club rivalry also adds more bite to the fixture.

In 2024/25, City beat Arsenal 3-2 after extra time in the quarter-finals, with goals from Ashton Muir, Lakyle Samuel and Divin Mubama taking them through.

This time the meeting comes a round earlier, but it presents a similar test for an Arsenal side still learning how to handle knockout football at this level while its best players train with the men’s first team.

Porter has already spoken about the value of those games for his players, arguing that they offer something league football cannot fully replicate. He said it was “brilliant” to see his side back in the knockout phase.

“We experienced it last year,” Porter said, “we played Manchester City, it was one of our best performances of the season, but we still came up short.

“I think for what the players need to go into next, to feel that edge of it being all on the line for one game, you’ve got to find a way to perform under that kind of pressure.

“I think that’s what the playoffs give us, so hopefully we can get another good (run).”