EFL Trophy group stage draw: Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs…

EFL Trophy group stage draw: Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and West Ham learn their opponents

Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham now know who they will face in the EFL Trophy this season.

The draw for the group stage of the EFL Trophy has been made this afternoon (Friday), with academy sides from five London clubs , including from Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Tottenham and West Ham.

There are 16 Category One academy sides set to compete across the northern and southern sections of the competition, alongside the 48 clubs from the third and fourth tier of English football.

Liverpool and Manchester United have entered academy teams into the competition for the first time this season , with the two clubs joining 14 other Category One academy sides in the EFL Trophy, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.

And the draw has now been made as the invited academy sides have been added to pre-determined groups, with Arsenal set to face Cambridge United, Peterborough United and Northampton Town.

Chelsea have been drawn in the same group as Swindon Town, Bristol Rovers and Plymouth Argyle, while Spurs will face Gillingham, Colchester United and Ipswich Town.

The full southern section draw is as follows:

Group A

Gillingham; Colchester United; Ipswich Town; Tottenham Hotspur

Group B

Crawley Town; Portsmouth; Oxford United; Norwich City

Group C

Leyton Orient; AFC Wimbledon; Southend United; Brighton & Hove Albion

Group D

Coventry City; Forest Green Rovers; Walsall; Southampton

Group E

Exeter City; Cheltenham Town; Newport County; West Ham United

Group F