Mark your calendars! Palace U18s’ highly anticipated FA Youth Cup third-round tie against Bradford City is taking place on Friday 5th December at Selhurst Park (kick-off, 18:00 GMT).
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Euan Danaher on beating Chelsea, progressing in the Premier League Cup, and the threat of Southampton
Ahead of Saturday’s Premier League South clash with Southampton, Crystal Palace Under-18s midfielder Euan Danaher reflected on a memorable week for the young Eagles – from the 4–0 victory over Chelsea to his flourishing midfield partnership with Chuks Okoli, and mastering the midfield under Javier Alonso.
It's a really good feeling
—Euan Danaher
Danaher was instrumental in last weekend’s convincing win over Chelsea, a result that sealed Palace’s place in the Premier League Cup knockout stages.
Reflecting on the performance, he said: “I think it was a good win, especially after last time we played them and lost 4–2 in the league.
"We were very good in all phases of the game. We pressed extremely well, moved the ball well, kept possession and frustrated them, so overall it was a good performance.”
In 2023/24, Palace reached the semi-finals of the Premier League Cup before falling to a strong Manchester United side.
Last season also saw the young Eagles push hard in the group stage – including a gritty away win at Arsenal – but Liverpool’s victory at Birmingham meant they topped the group on goals scored, ending Palace’s campaign.
All of that made this year’s win over Chelsea, and progression to the knockout stages, especially satisfying for Danaher: “It's a really good feeling. I think it's the first time in a while that we’ve gone through in an U18 Premier League Cup. So yeah, it's good to be the first group to do it in some time.”
He also shared Alonso’s reaction in the dressing room at full-time: “He was just really impressed. He was celebrating with the team, really – nothing specific he said, he was just happy for us all.”
We need to make sure we don't have too many more lows if we want to challenge for the title
—Euan Danaher
Palace return to league action this weekend still sitting top of the table on 18 points, despite a narrow defeat to West Ham before the international break and their closest challengers boasting valuable games in hand.
Danaher, however, believes the team are in a strong position: “It's been good. A couple more highs than lows, but we still need to make sure we don't have too many more lows if we want to win. I think we're in a good position to win and I feel like we can.”
On the pressure of leading the league, he added: “We just have to take each game as it comes. Make sure we prepare well the week before. We can’t change other results.”
Turning his attention to Saturday’s opponents Southampton, Danaher was complimentary of the Saints’ approach: “I think they're quite good on the ball and they press aggressively when they go.
"But if we stick to the game plan and look to go around them and find balls over the top, then we should beat them.”
Palace have been strong at home this season, picking up 12 points from five matches, and Danaher stressed the importance of maintaining that momentum at Copers Cope.
“Yeah, it's been good. We need to keep it up if we want to have a chance to win the league. I think we've been good this season at home.”
An integral factor in Palace’s midfield stability has been Danaher’s partnership with Chuks Okoli, something he was quick to highlight: “He makes the game easy for me, to be fair.
"He's always covering, always telling me what to do, and we just help each other out. It just makes it easier for each other.”
Finally, Danaher spoke about how much he’s enjoying working under Alonso and the impact the coach has had on his development.
“I play a lot more now. I get on the ball a lot with one or two touches – like the tiki-taka Spanish way. He's helped me with scanning as well, making sure I know everything that’s going on in midfield.”
How to Follow
This game will also be streamed LIVE on Palace TV+ on Saturday morning (29th November, 11:00 GMT) -click HERE to learn more about Palace TV+ and subscribe today!
Can’t watch live? Stay up to date with live commentary on our Academy X (Twitter) page and look out for the full match report on our Academy news section shortly after the final whistle.
Match Details
Crystal Palace Under-18s v Southampton Under-18s
- Saturday, 29th December
- 11:00 GMT
- U18s Premier League South
- Crystal Palace Academy
- Watch LIVE on Palace TV+