Crystal Palace’s Under-18s are enjoying a historic campaign under head coach Javier Alonso. With the business end of the season fast approaching, it’s the perfect time to take stock of a remarkable year for the young Eagles.
Alonso’s side are competing on multiple fronts: firmly in the U18 Premier League South title race, through to the U18 Premier League Cup Final, and into the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup – the most prestigious competition in English youth football.
Here are the key numbers behind their outstanding season so far…
With nine games remaining in the 2025/26 campaign, Palace sit third in the U18 Premier League South on 36 points, with two games in hand on leaders Tottenham Hotspur (47).
The U18 Premier League is split into two regional divisions – North and South – featuring all 29 Category One academies. Each side plays home and away within their division, with the two champions meeting in a national final to decide the overall winner.
Where the young Eagles truly stand out is in attack. Palace have scored 58 league goals – the most in the southern division – and the third-highest total across both regions, behind only Liverpool (67) and Manchester City (71). Across all competitions, that tally rises to an impressive 84 goals, averaging 2.9 per game – second only to City.
At the heart of that attacking output is Benji Casey. While he has stepped up to Under-21 level in recent months, limiting his U18 availability, his impact remains exceptional: 18 goals and five assists in just 16 appearances across all competitions.
In the league alone, Casey has featured just 10 times, making his sixth-place ranking in the scoring charts somewhat misleading. His minutes-per-goal ratio of 70 is comfortably the best in the division, and he is the only player to have scored two hat-tricks this season.
Another standout in recent months has been 6ft 6in striker David Angibeaud. Since scoring off the bench in a 4–0 win over Fulham, he has not looked back.
While he has 14 goals and four assists in 29 appearances overall, his form since that moment has been particularly striking – including a run of 10 goals in 10 games. He is also the only player in the squad to have been involved in every game.
Creativity has been just as important. Stuart Oduro has contributed 11 goals and seven assists, while central midfielder Chuks Okoli has six assists, placing him second in the U18 Premier League South charts, just behind Jack McGrath (7). Okoli has also been a model of consistency, playing a Palace-high 1,637 minutes across 19 matches.
Defensively, Palace have kept six clean sheets – level with West Brom – despite ranking ninth for goals conceded. It underlines the balance Alonso has spoken about throughout the season: a side capable of free-flowing attacking football, while continuing to develop organisation and discipline out of possession.
At home, the young Eagles have been particularly dominant. Palace boast the best home record in the division, collecting 26 points from 12 matches (eight wins, two draws, two defeats), ahead of Tottenham (24).
They have also scored 38 goals at Copers Cope – second only to Manchester City – reinforcing their status as a formidable force on home soil.
Palace have also produced some of the season’s most emphatic victories: 8–0 wins over Birmingham City and Ipswich Town, commanding 4–0 victories against Fulham and Chelsea, and a 5–0 home win over Birmingham – completing a 13–0 aggregate across those two meetings with the Blues.
Palace’s form has extended into cup competitions, where they have excelled against elite opposition.
In the U18 Premier League Cup, they topped a “group of death” featuring the then-leaders of the North and South divisions, Manchester City and Chelsea, as well as high-flying Category Two side Sheffield United.
Unbeaten in the group stage, Palace recorded two wins and a draw, scoring 10 goals and finishing level on points with City but ahead on goal difference. Standout performances included a 3–1 win over Sheffield United and an emphatic 4–0 victory over Chelsea.
Further wins against Peterborough United (3–1) and Tottenham Hotspur (1–0) have taken Palace into the final, where they will face Manchester United. The young Eagles have scored 14 goals in the competition – more than any other side, including their final opponents.
It marks the club’s first appearance in the U18 Premier League Cup Final, having fallen at the semi-final stage to Manchester United in 2023/24.
In the FA Youth Cup, Palace are also making history. They have reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1997, when a side featuring Clinton Morrison, Wayne Carlisle, and Hayden Mullins reached the final.
This season’s run has been equally impressive. Palace have scored 12 goals and conceded just three, keeping clean sheets in wins over Bradford City (3–0) and Newcastle United (4–0).
Oduro has made a major impact from the bench, scoring twice as a substitute – the most by any player in the competition – while Casey has netted four goals in four appearances. Centre-back Charlie Walker-Smith has played the most minutes for the young Eagles in the competition (360).
Alonso has also shown a willingness to trust emerging talent, with seven Under-16 players stepping up and contributing this season.
Lucca Benetton has made 10 appearances in goal at just 15 years old, while Hugo Bull, Dylan Monk, Seb Bonsu Amako, Jamar Lee, Kyro Smith-Phillips, and Mylo Bernard have all featured across the pitch.
Across all competitions, the numbers underline the consistency of Alonso’s side: 29 matches, 19 wins, four draws, and six defeats – a win rate of 66%, with 14% drawn and 20% lost.
They are currently on a six-game unbeaten run, while their longest winning streak stands at four matches, including victories over West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, and Reading. Notably, they have not lost more than one game in succession all season – a reflection of their consistency and ability to respond quickly.
From attacking output to cup progression and squad development, the numbers tell a clear story: this is a Palace side enjoying an outstanding campaign – and one that still has every chance to achieve even more before the season is out.
