Ahead of Tuesday’s Premier League Cup quarter-final against Peterborough United (17th February, 12:30 GMT) at the Idverde Training Ground, Donte Martin reflected on Palace’s journey so far and looked ahead to the knockout test.
The match will be streamed LIVE on Palace TV+ on Tuesday (17th February), with coverage beginning at 12:15 GMT ahead of a 12:30 GMT kick-off – click HERE to find out more and subscribe.
Supporters can follow live commentary on our Academy X (Twitter) page, with a full match report and reaction published shortly after full-time in our Academy news section.
Highlights and extended reaction will be available on Palace TV+.
I don’t think many teams can beat us
—Donte Martin
It has been several months since the young Eagles concluded their group stage campaign in emphatic fashion, beating Chelsea 4-0 to top Group D – widely regarded as the ‘group of death’.
The pool featured Premier League North leaders Manchester City, Premier League South leaders Chelsea and Category Two high-flyers Sheffield United.
Reflecting on the campaign, Martin said: “It was brilliant to be fair. We had City first and drew with them – personally I felt like we could have won – but we stayed unbeaten. Then we went away to Sheffield, which is never easy, and I thought we played some really good football and deserved the win.
“Then Chelsea away, we knew we had to get the job done to secure our place in the quarters and we did that in style. Two wins and a draw in that group shows what we’re about.”
Palace’s 4-0 win over Chelsea and 3-1 victory against Sheffield United sent a strong message to the rest of the competition.
“I think we’re one of the best teams in the country,” Martin added. “On our day, I don’t think many teams can beat us. If we stay focused and keep doing what we’re doing, we can go all the way.”
It’s knockout football now, so it’ll be a good challenge for us
—Donte Martin
Next up are Peterborough United Under-18s, who compete in the Professional Development League. While Martin admits he is not overly familiar with the opposition, he expects a tough test.
“To be honest, I don’t know too much about them, but you don’t get to a quarter-final without being a good side. It’s knockout football now, so it’ll be a good challenge for us.”
With the competition entering its decisive stages, Martin believes the team’s approach will remain the same despite the increased stakes.
“It shouldn’t change anything for us. Of course, there’s more on the line, but we’ve been in tough games before and we know how to deal with pressure. We’re confident, we trust each other and we know how to dig deep to get the result we need. We’ll go into Tuesday looking to win the game.”
Martin heads into the tie in strong form. The forward has eight goals in 21 appearances this season, netting twice in the recent 5-0 league win over Birmingham City and making the breakthrough in the 1-1 draw with Spurs at the weekend.
“I’m feeling very confident,” he said. “At the start of the year I was coming off the bench, then I got my opportunity against Birmingham and scored two. That always gives you belief. I feel ready, I feel sharp and I’m looking forward to Tuesday.”
With a semi-final place at stake, the young Eagles will aim to continue their impressive cup run and take another step towards silverware.
The match will be streamed LIVE on Palace TV+ on Tuesday (17th February), with coverage beginning at 12:15 GMT ahead of a 12:30 GMT kick-off – click HERE to find out more and subscribe.
Supporters can follow live commentary on our Academy X (Twitter) page, with a full match report and reaction published shortly after full-time in our Academy news section.
Highlights and extended reaction will be available on Palace TV+.
Peterborough United Under-18s v Crystal Palace Under-18s