Chelsea have been drawn in the same group as Manchester United for their Under-18 Premier League Cup defence.
The Blues beat Tottenham Hotspur to win the inaugural U18 PL Cup last season and they also won the U18 Premier League with a national final victory over Man Utd.
Newcastle United and Norwich City join Chelsea and Man Utd in Group F, one of six four-team groups in which every team plays each other once, either home or away.
The six group winners and two best runners-up will make up the quarter-finals and the knockout ties are one-off matches to be decided by extra-time and then penalties if level after 90 minutes.
The U18 PL Cup group stage draw is also exactly the same for the Under-16 Premier League Cup, a competition also introduced in 2017/18 that mirrors the format of the U18 tournament.
Manchester City won last season's U16 PL Cup and they kick off their campaign against Blackburn Rovers, Leicester City and West Ham United in Group E.
U18 and U16 Premier League Cup draw
Group A: Wolverhampton Wanderers, Middlesbrough, Swansea City, Tottenham Hotspur
Group B: Liverpool, Stoke City, Southampton, Reading
Group C: Sunderland, Derby County, Brighton & Hove Albion, Aston Villa
Group D: West Bromwich Albion, Everton, Arsenal, Fulham
Group E: Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers, Leicester City, West Ham United
Group F: Manchester United, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Norwich City
