3/1 To Win
Derby County’s Under-21s have learned who they will face in the 2022/23 Premier League Cup.
The 32 clubs competing in the competition have been split into eight groups of four Under-21 teams. Clubs from Premier League 2 and from the Professional Development League will face each other both home and away, with the top two going through to the knockout stages.
Derby’s Under-21s, who reached the Quarter Finals of the competition last season, have been drawn in Group B alongside Brighton & Hove Albion, AFC Bournemouth and Queens Park Rangers.
The confirmed match dates for the Group B matches are as follows:
AFC Bournemouth Vs Derby County
Friday 23rd September, 7pm kick-off
Vitality Stadium
Derby County Vs Queens Park Rangers
Monday 26th September, 7pm kick-off
Loughborough University Stadium
Derby County Vs Brighton & Hove Albion
Friday 18th November, 7pm kick-off
Loughborough University Stadium
Queens Park Rangers Vs Derby County
Friday 25th November, 7pm kick-off
Powerday Stadium
Derby County Vs AFC Bournemouth
Monday 12th December, 7pm kick-off
Loughborough University Stadium
Brighton & Hove Albion Vs Derby County
Monday 19th December, 7pm kick-off
American Express Elite Performance Centre
Premier League Cup Format
The Under-21 cup competition adopts the UEFA Champions League format to bring extra competitiveness to the Games Programme.
The Premier League Cup has been in place since it was introduced in 2013/14 to enhance the competitiveness of the Professional Development Phase calendar with knockout football alongside the regular league campaign.
The competition is in the UEFA Champions League style with 32 clubs in the main group stage from Premier League 2 as well as the Professional Development League. Like Premier League 2, it will be contested between Under-21 teams, with each side allowed five over-age outfield players and one over-age goalkeeper.
Competition Format
Group Stage: The tournament will be split into eight groups of four clubs, with each team playing their opposing clubs home and away. The top two teams advance to the knockout stage.
Knockout Stage: The last 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will all be one-off knockout ties. If the ties are level after 90 minutes, they go to extra-time and then penalties if the teams still can't be separated.
Meanwhile Derby’s Under-18s will face Everton away and Southampton and Chelsea at home in their three Premier League Cup group matches.
They will head to Everton on Friday 2nd September (6pm kick-off), before hosting Southampton on Saturday 8th October (11am kick-off) and Chelsea on Saturday 5th November (kick-off time to be confirmed) at Moor Farm Training Ground.
