City’s EDS qualify for Premier League 2 knockout stage | OneFootball

City’s Elite Development Squad’s 3-0 win over Middlesbrough on Friday evening means we have confirmed our place in the top 16 and place in the knockout stage of Premier League 2.

It is the first time the Club’s Under-21s squad have achieved the feat following the competition’s restructure.

Prior to the 2023/24 season, the Premier League 2 was reformatted to include a 20-game league-phase format followed by a knockout stage to determine the best team at Under-21s level.

At the end of the previous campaign, City – under former Lead Coach Brian Barry-Murphy – finished 23rd after four wins, six draws and 10 losses in what was a tough season for our young EDS squad.

Now with a slightly older and more experienced outfit, Lead Coach Ben Wilkinson has led his team to the league summit and qualification for the knockout stage with four games left to play.

To date, City have won 13 of our 16 games played, drawing one and losing the other two. Our EDS have scored the most in the league, finding the back of the net 49 times – an average of three goals per game – and conceded just 19.

The play-off will see City compete in single leg matches with the winner of each progressing to the next round with our focus set on reaching the final.

The teams will be drawn against each other based on their final league positions after the 20 Gameweeks.

For example, the team who places first will face the team who finished 16th and so on.

The higher seeded teams will play at home.

Until then, City will complete our 20 matches with games against Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Newcastle United to be played by mid-April.

For information on who City will face and when the fixtures will be played, keep across mancity.com and the Official Man City app for updates following Gameweek 20.