Palace began their title defence with a 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest, leaving them bottom of Group C after the opening round of fixtures. Forest therefore lead the way on three points, with Leeds and Aston Villa both on one, while Palace are yet to get off the mark.
What’s at stake: Palace must respond to keep title defence alive
Crystal Palace Under-18s face a pivotal U18 Premier League Cup clash with Leeds United on Saturday (10th October, KO: 11:00 BST), with victory essential if the Young Eagles are to keep their hopes of defending the trophy alive.
With eight groups of four teams and only the group winners progressing to the quarter-finals, there is little margin for error.
Palace know that better than most after last season’s successful campaign. The Young Eagles finished top of their 'Group of Death' with seven points before going on to lift the trophy at Selhurst Park, meaning a strong start was again going to be important in this season’s defence.
Instead, the opening-day defeat means Palace now need to respond against Leeds.
Three points would take the Young Eagles level with Forest on three and move them firmly back into contention, with a final-round meeting with Aston Villa still to come. What happens in the other game – Villa’s meeting with Forest – will then shape the permutations further.
A defeat, however, would end Palace’s hopes. They could reach only three points, while either Forest or Villa would already have four or more after Saturday’s other fixture.
A draw would technically keep the door open, but only narrowly. Palace would need Villa to beat Forest before then defeating Villa themselves in the final round, while also requiring Forest and Leeds to draw in the final round. Even then, goal difference could come into play.
In other words, there is a simple way to avoid getting too deep into the permutations: Palace need to beat Leeds.
Last season, seven points were enough to see the Young Eagles through and ultimately towards the trophy. This time, having started with nothing, they need to get their campaign moving on Saturday – or see their title defence come to an end...
How to follow
Saturday's match will be streamed LIVE on Palace TV+, with coverage beginning at 10:45 BST ahead of an 11:00 BST 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+.
Another great way to stay across all the action on matchday is via the official Crystal Palace F.C. App. With the app, goal alerts and key match notifications are delivered straight to your phone – keeping you up to date with every major moment for both sides.
Match details
Crystal Palace U18s v Leeds United U18s
- Saturday 10th October
- 12:00 BST
- Crystal Palace Academy
- U18 Premier League Cup
- Watch LIVE on Palace TV+