2008–09 Premier Academy League

July 2020 Arsenal U18S Ipswich Town U18s 7 – 0 Birmingham City U18S(25 April) Blackburn Rovers U18s 0 – 8 Manchester City U18s(1 November) Tottenham Hotspur U18s 6 – 6 Coventry City U18s(22 November) 1975 3.51 11, Sunderland U18s(1 November – 14 March) 28 (all group game), Manchester City U18s(23 August – 18 May)26 (inc. play-off), Manchester City U18s(23 August – 2 May) 11, Milton Keynes Dons U18s(1 November – 28 February) 2007–08 2009–10 The 2008–09 Premier Academy League Under–18 season was the twelfth edition since the establishment of The Premier Academy League, and the fifth under the current make-up. The first matches of the season were played on 23 August 2008, and the season ended on 18 May 2009. All teams played the other teams in their group twice and played 10 inter-group fixtures, producing 28 games a season. Eight of the inter-group games were played against teams in their 'paired group' (i.e. A–B and C–D are the paired groups), whilst the remaining two games comprise one game against a team in each of the two remaining groups. Winners of each group qualified for play-offs. Arsenal became the first group winners by leading Crystal Palace 20 points with 6 games left in Group A after a 1–0 win against Watford on 21 March 2009. Group C champions Manchester City set up tie with Arsenal in the play-off the following week by recording a 23–game unbeaten run which last to 26 games. Sunderland secured top spot in Group D after achieving the 14th win in last 15 games on 31 March. These 3 teams all clinched the group title for a third successive season. Tottenham Hotspur claimed the last play-off spot after beating Watford 2–1 on 6 May. Arsenal reached the 2009 Premier Academy League Play-off Final with a 2–1 victory over Manchester City at the City of Manchester Stadium on 8 May. Tottenham Hotspur set up clash with Arsenal after defeating Sunderland 2–1 at the Stadium of Light on 13 May. On 17 May, Arsenal were crowned the 2008–09 Premier Academy League Champions after a 1–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur in the Play-off Final at White Hart Lane, with a goal from Rhys Murphy. It is Arsenal's first title since the Premier Academy League reformed as an under–18 competition. League tables Academy Group A Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts1Arsenal U18s (C)2822427131+40702Norwich City U18s2813694642+4453Ipswich Town U18s 28142125553+2444Crystal Palace U18s28124125147+4405West Ham United U18s28108105138+13386Southampton U18s 28122144956−7387Portsmouth U18s28105134852−4358Chelsea U18s 28104145765−8349Fulham U18s2889114445−13310Charlton Athletic U18s2864203265−3322 Academy Group B Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts1Tottenham Hotspur U18s (C)2819728536+49642Leicester City U18s2819369048+42603Aston Villa U18s 2816666642+24544Coventry City U18s2815856246+16535Reading U18s28105134452−8356Bristol City U18s2896136367−4337Cardiff City U18s2877143348−15288Watford U18s2874174358−15259Birmingham City U18s2874173064−342510Milton Keynes Dons U18s2834212681−5513 Academy Group C Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts1Manchester City U18s (C)2822608833+55722Manchester United U18s2815856534+31533West Bromwich Albion U18s28135105537+18444Liverpool U18s28135105649+7445Everton U18s2811894939+10416Stoke City U18s28117103041−11407Wolverhampton Wanderers U18s2810993639−3398Crewe Alexandra U18s28115125453+1389Blackburn Rovers U18s2886143650−143010Bolton Wanderers U18s2872192857−2923 Academy Group D Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts1Sunderland U18s (C)2822246230+32682Newcastle United U18s2813785546+9463Derby County U18s28117105551+4404Sheffield United U18s2881193443−9355Nottingham Forest U18s2893164150−9336Leeds United U18s2895144143−2327Barnsley U18s2877143464−30288Sheffield Wednesday U18s2866162747−20249Huddersfield Town U18s2859143769−322410Middlesbrough U18s2858153957−1823 Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scoredPos = Position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = PointsC = Champions Play-off semi-finals 8 May 2009 19:00 BST Manchester City U18s 1–2 Report Arsenal U18s Abdisalam Ibrahim 41 Cedric Evina 14Rhys Murphy 76 City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester TBA Andrew Scregg (Liverpool) 13 May 2009 19:00 BST Sunderland U18s 1–2 Report Tottenham Hotspur U18s Ryan Noble 71 pen. Ryan Mason 39 pen.Andros Townsend 43 Stadium of Light, Sunderland 314 Steve Rowntree (North Yorkshire) Play-off Final 17 May 2009 16:00 BST Tottenham Hotspur U18s 0–1 Report Arsenal U18s Rhys Murphy 50 White Hart Lane, Tottenham 5,090 Carl Berry (Surrey) Records Most group wins: 22, Arsenal, Manchester City and Sunderland Most league wins: 24, Arsenal Fewest wins: 3, Milton Keynes Dons Fewest group defeats: 0, Manchester City Fewest league defeats: 1, Manchester City Most defeats: 21, Milton Keynes Dons Most points: 72, Manchester City Fewest points: 13, Milton Keynes Dons Most goals scored: 90, Leicester City Fewest goals scored: 26, Milton Keynes Dons Fewest group goals conceded: 30, Sunderland Fewest league goals conceded: 32, Arsenal and Sunderland Most goals conceded: 81, Milton Keynes Dons Highest goal difference: 55, Manchester City Lowest goal difference: −55, Milton Keynes Dons See also Premier Reserve League 2008–09 FA Youth Cup 2008–09 Premier League 2008–09 2008–09 in English football External links Premier Academy League U18 2008/2009 final league tablesMay 2025 InternetArchiveBot yes Premier Academy League U18 2008/2009 results Match reports Group AGroup BGroup CGroup D Arsenal Charlton Athletic Chelsea Crystal Palace Fulham https://archive.today/20070616180251/http://www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Academy/ Ipswich Town el https://archive.today/20090721072700/http://www.canaries.premiumtv.co.uk/page/AcademyFixtures/ Norwich City el Portsmouth Southampton West Ham United Aston Villa https://archive.today/20090409151435/http://www.blues.premiumtv.co.uk/page/AcademyResults/ Birmingham City el Bristol City Cardiff CityNovember 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes Coventry City Leicester City Milton Keynes Dons Reading Tottenham Hotspur Watford Blackburn Rovers Bolton Wanderers Crewe Alexandra Everton https://web.archive.org/web/20110919203412/http://www.evertonfc.com/match/premiership-football-fixtures-results.html?team=8135 19 September 2011 Liverpool Manchester City https://web.archive.org/web/20080913073333/http://www.mcfc.co.uk/default.sps?pagegid=%7BE853508B-4023-42E9-A24B-F5D2BF8BE831%7D&siteid=502&teamid=1327 13 September 2008 Manchester United Stoke City West Bromwich Albion https://archive.today/20090724010901/http://www.wolves.premiumtv.co.uk/page/AcademyFixtures/ Wolverhampton Wanderers el https://archive.today/20070616180251/http://www.barnsleyfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/AcademyFixtures/ Barnsley el Derby County Huddersfield Town Leeds United Middlesbrough Newcastle United https://archive.today/20120730041125/http://www.nottinghamforest.premiumtv.co.uk/page/AcademyNews/ Nottingham Forest el https://archive.today/20120218034238/http://www.sufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/AcademyFixtures/ Sheffield United el https://archive.today/20070616180251/http://www.swfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/U18Fixtures/ Sheffield Wednesday el Sunderland 2008-09 Acad Academy Category:2008–09 in European youth football