Arsenal U21s handed tough EFL Trophy draw

Arsenal U21s have learned their opponents for the 2025/2026 EFL Trophy group stages.

The Gunners have been placed in Group A of the Southern section, where they will face League One duo Cardiff City and Exeter City alongside League Two outfit Newport County.

Arsenal were knocked out of the competition at the group stage last season despite winning their first fixture at Leyton Orient 2-1.

This season’s group is more difficult, featuring two League One teams compared to just one last term.

The first round of fixtures have been scheduled for the first week of September. The final will take place on April 12 at Wembley.

Arsenal have progressed beyond the group stages in four of the last five campaigns but have never won the competition.

Mehmet Ali’s side will play all games away as the competition rules provide for all academy sides.

Striker Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, who scored in the Gunners’ defeat to MK Dons, has been released by the club, alongside Khayon Edwards, who was nominated for last season’s Premier League 2 Player of the Season.

The Gunners have also confirmed the departures of Brian Okonkwo, Elian Quesada-Thorn, Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand, Romari Forde, Jimi Gower, and Ismail M’Hand, all of whom featured for them last season in the competition.

Their pre-season begins next month, with six games scheduled against domestic and foreign opposition.

EFL Southern section full draw

Group A: Cardiff City, Exeter City, Newport County, Arsenal U21

Group B: Bristol Rovers, Cheltenham Town, Plymouth Argyle, Tottenham Hotspur U21

Group C: Northampton Town, Shrewsbury Town, Walsall, Chelsea U21

Group D: MK Dons, Reading, Swindon Town, West Ham United U21

Group E: AFC Wimbledon, Bromley, Stevenage, Crystal Palace U21

Group F: Crawley Town, Leyton Orient, Peterborough United, Aston Villa U21

Group G: Colchester United, Gillingham, Wycombe Wanderers, Fulham U21

Group H: Barnet, Cambridge United, Luton Town, Brighton & Hove Albion U21

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