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U18s preview: Palace aim to end winless run at Arsenal
Crystal Palace Under-18s travel to Arsenal in the U18 Premier League South on Saturday (KO: 11:00 BST), looking to turn encouraging performances into a return to winning ways.
The story so far
It’s been a frustrating few weeks for Palace’s U18s, with encouraging performances yet to translate into points.
Javier Alonso’s side made a flying start to 2026/27, beating West Ham United 3-1 on the opening day, with Toby Williams’ spectacular halfway-line strike recently named August’s Goal of the Month.
Since then, however, the Young Eagles have lost to Southampton, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur in the league, while their defence of the Premier League Cup also began with a 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Last time out, Palace surrendered a two-goal lead against in-form Tottenham, eventually losing 4-2 at the Academy.
Donte Martin struck twice in a competitive first half to put the Young Eagles in command, but Spurs responded strongly after the break, halving the deficit from the penalty spot before scoring twice in quick succession to turn the game around.
A late fourth followed as Palace pushed for an equaliser...
Alonso will now be hoping his side can turn those encouraging displays into a result when they travel to Arsenal on Saturday.
The opposition – Arsenal
Arsenal secured their first U18 Premier League South victory of the season last weekend, beating Southampton 1-0 at the Sobha Realty Training Centre.
Maalik Hashi’s first-half strike proved decisive, finding the far corner via the woodwork as the Gunners ended Southampton’s unbeaten start.
The result moved Arsenal up to 10th in the table, having previously drawn 0-0 with West Bromwich Albion before suffering successive defeats to Ipswich Town and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Previous meetings
Palace and Arsenal met twice in the U18 Premier League South last season, with the Young Eagles unbeaten across the two fixtures.
Martin’s brace inspired Palace to a 3-2 victory at Arsenal, before the sides played out a 2-2 draw on the final day of the campaign at the Academy.
Despite playing a significant spell with 10 men, the Young Eagles held on to secure a point and finish fifth in the table.
U18 Premier League explained…
The Young Eagles compete in the U18 Premier League South, the top level of youth football for Category One academies in England.
The competition is split into northern and southern sections, with Palace playing 30 matches against 15 southern opponents, home and away.
The section now features 16 clubs after AFC Bournemouth and Brentford gained Category One status ahead of the new season, while Leicester City moved to the northern section.
At the end of the campaign, the northern and southern section winners meet to decide the national champions.
Team news
There will be a familiar face among the Young Gunners, with former Palace Academy striker Mylo Bernard now part of Arsenal’s U18s squad.
Bernard joined Arsenal as part of their first-year scholarship intake for 26/27 after flourishing in front of goal for the Young Eagles last season.
Meanwhile, Arsenal defender Angelinou Pedro celebrated his 17th birthday this week by signing his first professional contract with the club.
Likely line-up
Arsenal expected XI: Porter, Hamill, Abubakar, McCarron, Mbala, Murisa, Sesay, Purdy, Maghoma, Bernard, Munoz.
Pre-match analysis
Arsenal have one win, one draw and two defeats from their opening four games in the U18 Premier League South.
The Young Gunners started the campaign with a goalless draw against West Brom, before suffering successive defeats to Ipswich Town and Brighton.
They bounced back last weekend, however, beating Southampton 1-0 at the Sobha Realty Training Centre, with Maalik Hashi’s first-half strike securing their first league win of the season.
Arsenal have scored three goals and conceded five across their four league matches so far, while Palace will be looking to make the most of their encouraging performances and return to winning ways.
Key player – Mylo Bernard
Bernard needs little introduction to Palace supporters, having enjoyed a prolific 25/26 campaign in SE25.
The striker scored more than 40 goals across the Academy last season, including six in the U18 Premier League despite stepping up above his usual age group.
Now beginning his scholarship with Arsenal, Bernard will be one to watch when the sides meet on Saturday.
The Gaffer – Josh Smith
Smith is currently interim head coach of Arsenal’s U18s.
He joined the club’s youth set-up in 2024, working as an assistant to Adam Birchall alongside Adam Pilling, and also spent a period working with the U18s under former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere.
Prior to joining the Gunners, Smith coached within Tottenham Hotspur’s Academy, having previously worked with younger age groups at Arsenal.
How to follow
The match will be streamed LIVE on Palace TV+ on Saturday, with coverage beginning at 10:45 BST ahead of the 11:00 BST kick-off. Find out more and subscribe here.
Supporters can also 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+.
Match Details
Arsenal U18s v Crystal Palace U18s
- Saturday, 12th September
- KO: 11:00 BST
- Sobha Realty Training Centre
- U18 Premier League South
- Watch LIVE on Palace TV+