2017–18 Premier League International Cup

2017–18 Premier League International Cup
The Emirates Stadium in Highbury, London hosted the final
Tournament details
Dates31 August 2017 – 8 May 2018
Teams24 (from 9 associations)
Final positions
Champions Porto (2nd title)
Runners-up Arsenal
Tournament statistics
Matches played43
Goals scored123 (2.86 per match)
Top scorer(s) James Wilson Manchester United
Adrián Dalmau Villarreal
(5 goals)

The 2017–18 Premier League International Cup was the fourth season of the Premier League International Cup, a European club football competition organised by the Premier League for under-23 players. Porto defended the title by defeating Arsenal 1–0 in the final.[1][2]

Format

The competition featured twenty-four teams: twelve from English league system and twelve invitees from other European countries. The teams were split into six groups of four - with two English league clubs per group. The group winners, and two best runners-up, progressed into the knockout phase of the tournament. The knockout matches were single leg fixtures.[3]

All matches - including fixtures between non-English teams - were played in England and Wales.

Teams

Group stage

Color key in group tables
Group winners and the two best runners-up advance to the quarterfinals

Group A

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Liverpool 3 2 0 1 5 2 +3 6
Newcastle United 3 2 0 1 6 4 +2 6
Sparta Prague 3 1 0 2 5 6 −1 3
PSV Eindhoven 3 1 0 2 5 9 −4 3
Source:
24 October 2017 Newcastle United 2–1 Sparta Prague North Tyneside
19:00 BST (UTC+1) Brezina o.g.' (19)
Barlaser 76'
Report Drchal pen.' (62) Stadium: Blue Flames Ground
Attendance: 491
Referee: Mr M. Donohue
10 November 2017 Liverpool 2–1 Newcastle United Birkenhead
19:00 GMT Virtue 27'
Ejaria 73'
Report 1
Report 2
Roberts 22' Stadium: Prenton Park
Referee: Daniel Middleton
28 November 2017 Liverpool 0–1 Sparta Prague Birkenhead
19:00 GMT Report 1
Report 2
Plavšić 86' Stadium: Prenton Park
Referee: Joe Hull
30 November 2017 PSV Eindhoven 4–3 Sparta Prague Halewood
19:00 GMT Malen 2' 61'
Guðmundsson 31'
Lammers 40'
Report 1
Report 2
Čmelík 16'
Drchal 64'
Köstl 66'
Stadium: Finch Farm
19 December 2017 Liverpool 3–0 PSV Eindhoven Birkenhead
19:00 GMT Brewster 11'
Wilson 24'
Brannagan
Virtue 63'
Report 1
Report 2
Soulas Stadium: Prenton Park
Referee: Joe Hull
24 January 2018 Newcastle United 3–1 PSV Eindhoven North Tyneside
19:00 GMT Gallacher 22'
Fernández 47'
Roberts 79'
Report Lundqvist 65' Stadium: Blue Flames Ground
Attendance: 262
Referee: Glen Hart

Group B

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Sunderland 3 2 1 0 5 1 +4 7
Leicester City 3 1 1 1 5 4 +1 4
Hertha Berlin 3 1 0 2 2 5 −3 3
Legia Warsaw 3 0 2 1 3 5 −2 2
Source:
27 September 2017 Leicester City 3–0 Hertha Berlin Leicester
19:00 BST (UTC+1) Hughes 2'
Johnson 40'
Muskwe 47'
Report Stadium: King Power Stadium
Attendance: 434
Referee: P. Wright
10 October 2017 Sunderland 2–0 Hertha Berlin Sunderland
19:00 BST (UTC+1) McNair 42'
Beadling 90' (pen.)
Report Stadium: Stadium of Light
Referee: Bramall
14 December 2017 Leicester City 2–2 Legia Warsaw Whetstone
19:00 GMT Ndukwu 21'
Knight 32'
Report 1
Report 2
Cichocki 10'
Bondarenko 67'
Stadium: Holmes Park
Attendance: 229[4]
Referee: Andrew Miller
23 January 2018 Sunderland 2–0 Leicester City Sunderland
19:00 GMT Connelly 35'
Embleton 43'
Report Stadium: Stadium of Light
Referee: Karl Evans

Group C

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Dinamo Zagreb 3 2 1 0 4 2 +2 7
Derby County 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 4
VfL Wolfsburg 3 1 0 2 5 5 0 3
Everton 3 0 2 1 1 3 −2 2
Source:
17 October 2017 Everton 1–3 VfL Wolfsburg Southport
19:00 BST (UTC+1) Mathis 23' Report Saglam 59'
El-Haibi 74'
Blaz Kramer 85'
Stadium: Merseyrail Community Stadium

Group D

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Manchester United 3 3 0 0 6 2 +4 9
Swansea City 3 1 0 2 7 4 +3 3
Athletic Bilbao 3 1 0 2 4 4 0 3
Celtic 3 1 0 2 2 9 −7 3
Source:
30 September 2017 Swansea City 6–0 Celtic Landore
14:00 BST (UTC+1) McBurnie 37'
J. Fulton 49'
Dyer 74' 84'
James 80', 90'
Report Stadium: Landore Training Ground
25 October 2017 Athletic Bilbao 1–2 Celtic Woking
19:00 BST (UTC+1) Vicente 47' Report
Report 2 Report 3
Johnston 13'
Bernaola og' (58)
Stadium: Kingfield Stadium
Attendance: 250
Referee: Adrian Quelch
4 November 2017 Manchester United 2–1 Swansea City Leigh
14:00 GMT Wilson 59' (pen.) 67' Report 1
Report 2
Gorré 90' (pen.) Stadium: Leigh Sports Village
Attendance: 1,009[5]
Referee: Johnson
15 November 2017 Manchester United 2–1 Athletic Bilbao Leigh
19:00 GMT Wilson 48'
McTominay 81'
Report 1
Report 2
Report 3
Guruzeta 10' Stadium: Leigh Sports Village
Attendance: 854[6]
Referee: Simeon Lucas
2 December 2017 Manchester United 2–0 Celtic Leigh
14:00 GMT Wilson 28' 82' Report 1
Report 2
Report 3
Stadium: Leigh Sports Village
Attendance: 1,016[7]
Referee: David Richardson
20 December 2017 Swansea City 0–2 Athletic Bilbao Landore
19:00 GMT Marić  90'
Garrick  90+3'
Report Vicente 89' 90+1' Stadium: Landore Training Ground
Referee: Savvas Yianni

Group E

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Arsenal 3 2 1 0 6 2 +4 7
Porto 3 2 0 1 3 1 +2 6
Bayern Munich 3 1 0 2 3 6 −3 3
Reading 3 0 1 2 0 3 −3 1
Source:
22 September 2017 Reading 0–2 Porto Marchwood
19:00 BST (UTC+1) Report 1
Report 2
Galeno 82'
Pereira 90' (pen.)
Stadium: Staplewood Campus
Attendance: BCD[8]
Referee: Savvas Yianni
17 November 2017 Arsenal 1–0 Porto Borehamwood
19:00 GMT Nelson 51' Report 1
Report 2
Stadium: Meadow Park
30 November 2017 Arsenal 0–0 Reading Borehamwood
19:00 GMT Report 1
Report 2
Stadium: Meadow Park
Referee: Alan Dale
8 December 2017 Reading 0–1 Bayern Munich High Wycombe
19:00 GMT Report Tarnat 12' Stadium: Adams Park
Referee: Allan Young
23 January 2018 Arsenal 5–2 Bayern Munich Borehamwood
19:00 GMT Dragomir 30'
Willock 36'
Osei-Tutu 77'
Reine-Adélaïde 78'
Smith Rowe 84'
Report Awoudja 48'
Wriedt 60'
Stadium: Meadow Park
Referee: Alan Dale
26 January 2018 Bayern Munich 0–1 Porto Aldershot
19:00 GMT Report Pereira 45+1' (pen.) Stadium: Electric Services Stadium
Referee: Samuel Allison

Group F

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Villarreal 3 3 0 0 8 2 +6 9
Tottenham Hotspur 3 1 1 1 10 7 +3 4
Benfica 3 1 1 1 7 6 +1 4
West Ham United 3 0 0 3 2 12 −10 0
Source:
31 August 2017 Tottenham Hotspur 7–2 West Ham United Stevenage
19:00 BST (UTC+1) Maghoma 11'
Sterling 13', 63'
Pritchard 51'
Shashoua 59', 68'
Duncan 65'
Report 1
Report 2
Scully 28' (pen.)
Martínez 81' (pen.)
Stadium: Broadhall Way
Attendance: 630
Referee: Alan Young
20 September 2017 Villarreal 3–2 Benfica Lancing
19:00 BST (UTC+1) Moreno 37'
Montolio 86'
Poveda 90'
Report Tavares 48'
Félix 87'
Stadium: Amex Elite Football Performance Centre
Attendance: 400
Referee: Richard Hulme
4 October 2017 West Ham United 0–3 Villarreal Dagenham
19:00 BST (UTC+1) Report Dalmau 1', 35', 68' Stadium: Victoria Road
14 November 2017 Tottenham Hotspur 0–2 Villarreal Stevenage
19:00 GMT Report Cedrés 30'
Riera 45'
Stadium: Broadhall Way
Attendance: 503[9]
21 November 2017 West Ham United 0–2 Benfica Billericay
19:00 GMT Report 1
Report 2
Júnior 8', 26' Stadium: AGP Arena
24 January 2018 Tottenham Hotspur 3–3 Benfica Enfield
19:00 GMT Tracey 39'
Roles 50'
Walkes 55'
Report Félix 21'
Tavares 46'
Santos 79'
Stadium: Hotspur Way
Referee: Alan Young

Ranking of second-placed teams

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Newcastle United 3 2 0 1 6 4 +2 6
Porto 3 2 0 1 3 1 +2 6
Tottenham Hotspur 3 1 1 1 10 7 +3 4
Leicester City 3 1 1 1 5 4 +1 4
Derby County 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 4
Swansea City 3 1 0 2 7 4 +3 3
Source:

Knockout stages

Quarter-finals Semi-finals Finals
         
Arsenal 2
Dinamo Zagreb 1
Arsenal 2 (P)
Villarreal 2
Manchester United 0
Villarreal 2
Arsenal 0
Porto 1
Sunderland 2
Newcastle United 2 (P)
Newcastle United 0
Porto 1
Liverpool 1
Porto 2

Quarter-finals

24 February 2018 Arsenal 2–1 Dinamo ZagrebBorehamwood
14:00 GMT Willock 28'
Dasilva 89'
Report 1
Report 2
Miklić 75' Stadium: Meadow Park
Referee: Daniel Middleton
27 February 2018 Manchester United 0–2 Villarreal Leigh
19:00 GMT Report 1
Report 2
Dalmau 48'
Pedrito 50'
Stadium: Leigh Sports Village
Referee: Peter Gibbons
28 February 2018 Liverpool 1–2 Porto Leigh[10]
19:00 GMT Virtue 33' Report Costa 58'
Irala 90+6'
Stadium: Leigh Sports Village
Attendance: BCD[11]

Semi-finals

12 April 2018 Newcastle United 0–1 Porto Newcastle upon Tyne
19:00 BST Report 1
Report 2
Report 3
Reabciuk 89' Stadium: St James' Park
Attendance: 1,237
Referee: Mr P. Wright

Final

8 May 2018 Arsenal 0–1 Porto Holloway
19:00 BST (UTC+1) Report 1
Report 2
Queta 10' Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 1,662
Referee: Thomas Bramall

References

  1. ^ "Dragons win in London". FC Porto. 8 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  2. ^ "Arsenal 0-1 Porto: How it happened". Arsenal F.C. 8 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  3. ^ "Premier League International Cup explained". Premier League. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  4. ^ "display game". Doing the 92.
  5. ^ @lsvstadium (4 November 2017). "FULL TIME: @ManUtd 2 @SwansOfficial 1" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ^ @lsvstadium (15 November 2017). "FULL TIME: @ManUtd u23s 2 @Athletic_en 1" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ^ @lsvstadium (2 December 2017). "FULL TIME: @ManUtd 2 @celticfc 0" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. ^ @ReadingFC (19 September 2017). "⚽️ Our U23s take on European giants @FCPorto behind closed doors in the @PremierLeague International Cup on Friday!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  9. ^ "Spurs v Villarreal, (PL2 International Cup - 14.11.17)". Spurs Odyssey.
  10. ^ Match was moved to Leigh Sports Village from Prenton Park because of weather conditions
  11. ^ @LFC (28 February 2018). "Due to current weather conditions, #LFCU23s will now host @FCPorto in tonight's #PL International Cup quarter-final at Leigh Sports Village" (Tweet) – via Twitter.