What does new Premier League 2 format mean for Arsenal?

The u21 competition currently uses a two-tier system, with promotion and relegation between the leagues.

But the new format uses the Swiss model, involving one league of 25 teams where each team plays 20 matches based on their seeding, which is determined by performance over time.

The initial 20-game regular season would then be followed by a play-off competition for the top-16 teams at the end.

This is the same change we’ll see made to the Champions League in 2024/25.

Fixtures for the new competition will be released in July.

On the one hand, the removal of relegation is believed to be a potential positive for development, as it will allow struggling teams to focus more on what’s best for their players and less on grinding out results.

On the other hand, a lack of focus on results could easily lead to less competitive matches that actually end up harming player development.

Arsenal were already in the top tier of the Premier League 2, along with Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United. That will presumably see the Gunners earn a favourable seeding in the new competition.

By comparison, Tottenham Hotspur will be pleased to see the system change to a single-tier after they were relegated this season. But their seeding should suffer from that relegation.