Crystal Palace Under-18s have booked their place in the semi-finals of the Premier League Cup against Tottenham Hotspur following their 3-1 quarter-final win over Peterborough United at the Idverde Training Ground on Tuesday afternoon.
It was a breathless start, with Palace forced to weather early pressure from the hosts. Josh Muwana produced two crucial blocks to keep things level, while Benetton was also called into action.
As the half wore on, the young Eagles began to assert control, carving out a string of chances through Mylo Bernard, David Angibeaud and Chuks Okoli. Stuart Oduro struck the crossbar as Palace piled on the pressure, and their dominance was finally rewarded when Muwana reacted quickest in a goalmouth scramble to bundle home the opener before the break.
Peterborough responded after half-time, levelling on 55 minutes through Boluwatife Shofowoke after a swift counter-attack. But Palace quickly regained momentum.
Substitute Donte Martin turned the tie on its head with two goals in as many minutes — first volleying home Daniel Owoade’s low cross, before rifling in from close range after neat build-up play involving Euan Danaher and Angibeaud.
From there, Palace controlled proceedings, with Benetton making another key one-on-one save to preserve their advantage. The young Eagles continued to threaten a fourth, but Martin’s brace was enough to seal a deserved victory.
Here’s what comes next in English football's most prestigious youth competition…
With the quarter-finals complete, Palace join Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, and Manchester United in the semi-finals. The other quarter-final ties saw:
Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Bristol City
George Feeney’s early opener was followed by Reiss Elliott-Parris after a series of blocked shots, with Oliver Boast adding his 10th Under-18 goal of the season shortly after the interval. Spurs controlled the match throughout and could have extended their advantage further.
West Ham United 1-1 Aston Villa (5-4 on penalties)
Luke Smith’s side defended their U18 Premier League Cup title in a dramatic shootout at Rush Green Stadium. After a tense 1-1 draw, West Ham converted all five penalties to progress, maintaining an unbeaten run of ten games in the competition.
Manchester United 4-3 West Bromwich Albion
Darren Fletcher’s side raced into a 4-0 lead inside the first 45 minutes, with braces from Louie Bradbury and Jay McEvoy. West Brom fought back in the second half through Charlie Blackshields and a Rio Parmer double, but United held on despite straight red cards for Gabriel (United) and Harry French (West Brom).
Following the draw, Palace have been paired with Tottenham away in the semi-final, scheduled for Tuesday, 3rd March 2026. The winners will progress to the U18 Premier League Cup Final on Tuesday, 21st April 2026, which will be hosted at the drawn home club’s main stadium.
Supporters can look forward to an exciting semi-final showdown as Palace aim to continue their run in one of English football’s most prestigious youth competition.