It’s a big weekend for Crystal Palace’s Academy, with the Under-18s and Under-21s both in action at the Academy against Aston Villa and Everton respectively.
First up, the U18s welcome Villa on Saturday (KO: 12:00 GMT), knowing victory is essential to keep their defence of the U18 Premier League Cup alive and book a place in the quarter-finals.
On Sunday (12:00 GMT), Darren Powell’s U21s take on Everton looking to carry the momentum from Tuesday’s historic EFL Trophy victory over Newport County.
Both matches will be shown LIVE on Palace TV+. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the action…
Javier Alonso’s side have found their stride since returning from the September-October international break, putting together an impressive five-match unbeaten run across all competitions.
A crucial 3-0 victory over Leeds United kept their U18 Premier League Cup defence alive before the Young Eagles ran riot at Ipswich Town, with Donte Martin’s hat-trick inspiring a 6-2 win.
Martin repeated the feat against Reading the following weekend, scoring his second consecutive treble as Palace raced into a 5-0 half-time lead. Makai Bernard-Ferguson and Jacob Fasida also found the net in a dominant display, although the visitors hit back after the break as Palace were reduced to nine men.
Most recently, the Young Eagles showed their resilience to earn a 1-1 draw away at rivals Brighton & Hove Albion, overcoming Remi Shittu’s early dismissal before Ajean-Ray Greaves struck to secure a deserved point.
Saturday’s fixture is effectively a knockout tie, with Palace needing a win to keep their hopes of reaching the U18 Premier League Cup quarter-finals alive.
Only the winners of the eight groups progress to the last eight. Villa lead Group C on four points, with Palace second on three, level with Nottingham Forest but boasting a superior goal difference (+2 to -5). Leeds United sit bottom on one point.
A draw would suit Villa if Forest fail to beat Leeds, but a Forest win would mean the hosts must take all three points. Palace also need a victory to reach six points and, even if Forest win, hold a significant goal-difference advantage.
Forest would need to beat Leeds by at least eight goals more than Palace’s winning margin to overtake them.
The Young Eagles enjoyed a memorable run to last season’s final, overcoming a challenging group containing eventual national champions Manchester City and U18 Premier League South winners Chelsea.
A 3-3 draw with City was followed by victories over Sheffield United and Chelsea to secure qualification for the quarter-finals, where Palace beat Peterborough United.
A last-gasp David Angibeaud header then saw off Tottenham Hotspur to book a place in the final against Manchester United at Selhurst Park.
After Benji Casey converted a late penalty to force extra-time, neither side could find a winner, despite Palace striking the woodwork three times.
The final went to penalties, where the Young Eagles converted all six of their spot-kicks to lift the trophy for the first time in the club’s history.
Villa arrive in south London on the back of a 3-1 victory away at Ipswich Town, having bounced back from defeat to Arsenal the previous week.
They sit just above Palace in 10th in the U18 Premier League South, level on 11 points but with a superior goal difference, having won three, drawn two and lost four of their nine league fixtures.
Their cup campaign has been equally eventful. A 3-3 draw with Leeds United was followed by a commanding 6-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, with Daniel Adediran scoring a hat-trick to take Villa to four points from their opening two matches.
Adediran is one to watch. The 16-year-old has already featured for Villa’s U21s this season, including in the UEFA Youth League, and has continued to make his mark at U18 level scoring back-to-back hat-tricks in the Premier League Cup against Leeds United and Nottingham Forest.
Villa are coached by Richard Beale, who returned to the club in summer 2025 after previous spells in their Academy setup and coaching roles at West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City and Solihull Moors.
Powell’s side will head into Sunday’s encounter full of confidence after making Academy history on Tuesday evening.
The Young Eagles secured their first-ever progression to the EFL Trophy knockout stages with a hard-fought 2-1 victory away at League Two Newport County.
Jasper Judd opened the scoring after reacting quickest to turn home Amaari Sealey’s corner, before David Angibeaud produced the decisive moment late on, taking a superb first touch inside the area before calmly slotting past the 'keeper.
Harry Lee also played his part with a string of important saves as Palace weathered a late Newport onslaught to secure a landmark result and a place in the Round of 32.
Their Premier League 2 campaign has been more mixed. After opening with a draw against Arsenal and a 2-0 victory at Aston Villa, Palace responded to a narrow defeat with an emphatic 4-1 win over Leeds United.
Adler Nascimento stole the show with a superb hat-trick, while 16-year-old Nat Kalembo announced himself with a stunning long-range strike.
However, a 5-2 defeat to Southampton followed, leaving Palace 17th in the 31-team division on seven points, level with Leeds United and Derby County.
Everton arrive in south London after edging out Tamworth 3-2 in the National League Cup on Tuesday, although their Premier League 2 form has been less consistent.
The Toffees have collected two victories from their opening five league fixtures, including a 2-1 comeback win over Middlesbrough in their most recent PL2 outing in October.
Northern Ireland U21 international Braiden Graham scored the winner that evening, following Jack Patterson’s equaliser on his 21st birthday.
They have also been competing in the EFL Trophy and Premier League International Cup, drawing 1-1 with Borussia Mönchengladbach before suffering a late 2-1 defeat at Shrewsbury Town.
Everton are now overseen by Dave Hughes, who was appointed Head of Academy Player Development in May 2025 and also takes charge of the U21s. The former Newport County manager succeeded Paul Tait following his 16 years at the club.
Both fixtures will be streamed LIVE on Palace TV+, with the U18s hosting Aston Villa at 12:00 GMT on Saturday and the U21s welcoming Everton at 12:00 GMT on Sunday.
Supporters can also follow live updates and commentary on our Academy X account, with match reports and reaction published shortly after full-time in the Academy news section.
Highlights and extended reaction will be available on Palace TV+, while the official Crystal Palace FC app will provide goal alerts and key match notifications.
Palace U18s v Aston Villa U18s
Palace U21s v Everton U21s