The Arsenal u21s have learned their opponents for the 2026/27 EFL Trophy, with the group stage draw taking place this week.
The EFL Trophy draw took place on Thursday afternoon, with the Arsenal u21s joining Group F (Southern Section) along with AFC Wimbledon, Leyton Orient, and Barnet.
The games will get under in September, and Arsenal write that the full breakdown of fixtures will follow.
The Round of 16 will then take place in early December, the quarter-final in mid-January, the semi final in early March, and the final on April 11th. Though it would be an impressive feat if Arsenal make the final, having never previously progressed past the quarter-final stage.
Arsenal fans hoping to attend the games should be pretty pleased with the draw, compared to last year’s group opponents – Newport County, Exeter City, and Cardiff City.
The journey from the Emirates Stadium to each of those grounds was an average of 186 miles, but the average distance to AFC Wimbledon, Leyton Orient, and Barnet is less than 11 miles.
That’s also good news for the players, saving them the tiring trips around the country. The u21 teams always play all three group games away from home, and it’s just luck of the draw whether or not that leads to a lot of travel.
Arsenal failed to progress from last year’s group stage, beating Newport but losing the other two games. Just one more result would have seen the young Gunners through, but it wasn’t to be.
No u21 team has ever won the EFL Trophy, so each season should be seen as an opportunity to become the first.
David Horseman is the man in charge of the Arsenal u21s in the EFL Trophy and the u19s in the UEFA Youth League, and he’ll be hoping to lead both teams further than he managed in 2025/26.
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