Darren Powell’s U21s go first on Friday evening (28th August, 19:00 BST) in Premier League 2, before Javier Alonso’s U18s take on Villa on Saturday morning (29th August, 11:00 BST) in the U18 Premier League South.
Here’s everything you need to know!
Academy double-header: U21s and U18s face Aston Villa
It’s an Academy double-header this weekend, with Crystal Palace’s Under-21s and Under-18s both travelling to face Aston Villa at Bodymoor Heath.
The story so far
Palace’s U21s opened their 26/27 Premier League 2 campaign with a 1-1 draw away to Arsenal on Saturday afternoon.
The competition features the development sides of all 31 Category One academies, with each team playing 20 regular-season games before the top 16 advance to the play-offs.
The Young Eagles grew into the game after a bright start from the hosts, with Joél Drakes-Thomas, Caleb Kporha and first-team star Zavier Gozo all going close before Gozo put Palace ahead shortly after half-time.
Arsenal levelled midway through the second half, but Palace continued to push for a winner and almost found it in added time when Benji Casey came close.
Alonso’s U18s, meanwhile, made a flying start to their U18 Premier League South campaign with a 3-1 victory at West Ham United.
Palace compete in the southern section of the U18 Premier League, the top level of league football for Category One academies, alongside 15 other clubs.
Captain Ajean-Ray Greaves scored twice, while first-year scholar Toby Williams marked his U18s debut with a stunning strike from the halfway line.
The Young Eagles have since suffered defeats to Southampton and Nottingham Forest, with the latter coming in their opening U18 Premier League Cup fixture.
They will be looking to return to winning ways against Villa.
Watch the highlights of our narrow defeat to Forest, which came after a controversial penalty decision, below!
Form guide – Aston Villa U21s
Villa began their Premier League 2 campaign with an impressive 2-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.
Leon Routh opened the scoring before Rory Wilson doubled the hosts’ advantage, with Villa holding on after Brighton pulled one back late on.
The Young Lions also enjoyed a strong 2025/26 campaign, reaching the Premier League 2 quarter-finals before losing 3-2 to eventual champions Manchester City.
Form guide – Aston Villa U18s
Aston Villa’s U18s finished third in the U18 Premier League South last season, level on 54 points with Tottenham Hotspur.
The Midlands-based club have also enjoyed significant success in recent years, completing a historic treble in 2024.
They lifted the FA Youth Cup and U18 Premier League Cup, while also winning the U18 Premier League North before beating the southern section winners to become national champions.
Villa have begun the new campaign with two entertaining draws, being held 2-2 by league newcomers AFC Bournemouth before a remarkable 5-5 draw with Fulham.
Their U18 Premier League Cup campaign also started with a draw, against Leeds United.
Key players – Meade and Adediran
Markie Meade enjoyed a prolific 2025/26 campaign for Villa, scoring 21 goals and registering six assists.
The centre-forward, who joined Villa as an Under-9, can also operate deeper and is regarded as a strong goalscorer and creator.
Sixteen-year-old forward Daniel Adediran is another player to watch, having scored on the opening day of the season in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.
He then hit a remarkable five-minute hat-trick against Leeds United in the U18 Premier League Cup.
The gaffers – Shan and Beale
James Shan is in charge of Villa’s U21s after previously leading the club’s U18s to a historic treble.
His side play with an energetic, possession-based approach and will provide a stern test for Powell’s Young Eagles.
Richard Beale is Villa’s Under-18 Lead Coach, having returned to Bodymoor Heath last summer.
The Solihull-born coach has also worked with West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City and Solihull Moors.
Both sides will be aiming to make the most of home advantage at Bodymoor Heath as the Young Eagles face Villa twice in 24 hours.
How to follow
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+.
The official Crystal Palace F.C. App is another great way to stay across the action, with goal alerts and key match notifications delivered straight to your phone.
Match Details
Aston Villa U21s v Crystal Palace U21s
- Friday, 27th August
- 19:00 BST
- Premier League 2
- Bodymoor Heath Training Ground
Aston Villa U18s v Crystal Palace U18s
- Saturday, 28th August
- 11:00 BST
- U18 Premier League South
- Bodymoor Heath Training Ground