New U18s Premier League season set to begin

Adam Birchall's side will be looking to improve on their tenth-place finish from last season as a new U18s Premier League season begins this weekend.

The 29 Category One academy sides are split into north and south divisions, with 14 sides competing in the northern division and 15 in the southern. Every team faces every opponent once at home and once away over the course of the season, with the usual three points for a win and one for a draw.

At the end of the season, the team at the top of each division is crowned regional champions, before an overall final takes place between the two sides to determine the winner of the U18s Premier League.

Last season, Manchester City edged city rivals United to the northern title, while Chelsea stormed to success in the south. The Blues then came out on top against the Citizens in the league final, thrashing the five-time winners 5-1 at Stamford Bridge to get their hands on the trophy for the first time since 2018.

We amassed 33 points from our 28 league games last season, finishing tenth in the southern league table. We'll be aiming to improve on that total this season, starting with a trip to the West Midlands to face West Bromwich Albion this weekend.

Our fixture list includes London derbies with West Ham, Tottenham and champions Chelsea, before we finish the league season against Reading at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Saturday, May 9.

Should we win the division, a draw will take place to determine whether the final takes place at the home of the northern or southern champions, with a date for the contest confirmed after the draw.