U18s preview Palace v West Brom: Young Eagles bid to make it three wins from three in final away clash
Crystal Palace Under-18s will bid to make it three wins from three in the U18s Premier League South when they travel to face West Brom on Saturday (12:00 BST) at the Fitlife Foods Performance Centre – here's everything you need to know ahead of our final away clash of the season!
Eagle-Eyed Review
The Eagles continue to impress on all fronts as the season reaches its decisive stage, balancing commitments across three competitions while maintaining momentum in the league.
Twelve wins from their opening 23 league matches have kept Palace firmly in contention near the top of the U18 Premier League South table.
A 3-1 defeat to Norwich City last month temporarily stalled domestic progress, with a heavily rotated side still recovering from the emotional and physical demands of lifting the U18 Premier League Cup just days earlier.
That memorable triumph saw the young Eagles crowned national cup winners after a dramatic 6-5 penalty shootout victory over Manchester United, capping off a remarkable run in the competition. Palace also narrowly missed out on a place in the FA Youth Cup final, again facing Manchester United, who edged a tightly contested semi-final 2-1.
Back in league action, Donte Martin’s brace inspired a superb 3-2 victory over Arsenal as Palace returned to winning ways in the U18 Premier League South before enjoying a well-earned extended break.
The Eagles resumed their campaign in emphatic fashion on Wednesday afternoon, defeating Ipswich Town 6-3 in an entertaining contest. Mylo Bernard and substitute Jamar Lee both struck twice in a dominant attacking display.
That result lifted Palace into third place on 45 points, level with Aston Villa, with three matches remaining. Crucially, Javier Alonso’s side still hold games in hand over second-placed Tottenham Hotspur, as well as fellow challengers West Bromwich Albion and Brighton & Hove Albion.
With the race for second place intensifying, Palace know that a strong finish to the campaign could cap what has already been a historic season for the club’s Under-18s.
Attention now turns to Saturday’s trip to West Bromwich Albion at the Fitlife Foods Performance Centre (12:00 BST), where the Eagles will aim to make it three consecutive league victories.
Our Opponents – West Brom
After finishing bottom of the division last season with only three league victories, West Bromwich Albion Under-18s have made significant strides during the 2025/26 campaign.
With two games remaining, the young Baggies sit fifth in the U18 Premier League South, level on 43 points with Brighton & Hove Albion and firmly in the hunt for a top-three finish.
Their form since the turn of the year has been particularly impressive. Across both regional divisions, only Chelsea, Aston Villa, Manchester United and Manchester City have collected more points in 2026 than West Brom’s outstanding return of 25 points from 11 matches.
West Brom arrived into recent weeks on the back of a three-match winning run, defeating West Ham United, Southampton and Fulham — the latter in a commanding 5-0 performance — before narrowly losing 3-2 to Aston Villa last time out.
Their progress has also been reflected at individual level, with several scholars earning opportunities with the club’s Under-21s. Among the standout performers is attacking midfielder Harry French, who has registered 14 goal contributions in just 16 U18 Premier League appearances this season.
Having finished 32 points behind last season’s champions Aston Villa, West Brom’s improvement has been one of the stories of the campaign. Victory on Saturday would move them above Palace into fourth place and further strengthen hopes of securing a top-three finish heading into the final week of the season.
U18 Premier League Explained…
The U18 Premier League is split into two regional divisions featuring all 29 Category One academies across England. The southern division contains 15 clubs, while the northern division features 14.
The competition includes academies from 18 Premier League clubs, 10 Championship sides and one League One club.
Teams face each other home and away within their respective regional divisions across the course of the season. The champions of the northern and southern divisions then meet in a one-off national final to determine the overall U18 Premier League champions, with the showpiece fixture hosted at the home stadium of one of the finalists.
Previous Meeting
Palace Under-18s suffered a frustrating 3-1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion in the reverse fixture earlier this year — the young Eagles’ first league outing following the turn of the calendar year.
Likely line-up
Albion: Trialist A (GK); Asomugha, Perkins, Shaw; Iddrisa, Crowther, Blackshields, Maughan; Colesby, French, Francis-Caesar.
Team news
West Brom’s impressive form has coincided with the integration of several trialists throughout the squad, particularly across defence, midfield and attack.
While Chay Thompson has generally maintained a settled starting XI, changes are often introduced around the hour mark, with squad rotation continuing between the Under-18s and Under-21s.
Midfielder Shane Gompe, Danyal Iqbal, Reece Bastafield, defender Adam Letlat and Seven-Seven could all feature after appearing in the recent 5-0 victory over Fulham, while a number of scholars continue to gain valuable experience stepping up to the U21 setup.
Pre-match analysis
West Brom head into Saturday’s contest in fifth place, having won 13 matches, drawn four and lost five this season.
They are also one of the division’s form sides, collecting 10 points from their last five league outings with three wins, one draw and just one defeat. During that run, the Baggies have scored 14 goals — among the highest totals in the league — while conceding only seven.
Recent victories over West Ham United, Southampton and Fulham underline the level they are currently performing at, with the emphatic 5-0 win against Fulham particularly eye-catching.
Importantly, this run is no short-term surge. Since the start of 2026, only Chelsea, Aston Villa, Manchester United and Manchester City have earned more points across the national U18 Premier League setup than West Brom.
Away from home, Albion rank among the strongest sides in the division for form, while their home performances have been comparatively inconsistent. However, they have still won two of their last three matches at the Fitlife Foods Performance Centre, highlighting the challenge Palace will face this weekend.
Key player – Harry French
Harry French has emerged as one of West Bromwich Albion’s standout academy talents this season.
Originally from Newton Abbot in Devon, French began his football journey with local sides WBB (Watts Blake Bearne) and Alphington before briefly joining Plymouth Argyle’s academy setup during his early years. Interestingly, he initially played as a goalkeeper before eventually transitioning into an attacking role.
Following spells with Galmpton United and Tavistock, French gained valuable senior football experience at just 15 years old — an experience that helped accelerate his development and attract Albion’s attention.
West Brom brought the versatile forward in on trial before he officially joined the club midway through the 2024/25 season. His performances quickly earned recognition, including an appearance against Manchester City in the FA Youth Cup quarter-final.
French signed a two-year scholarship in July 2025 and has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign ever since, scoring more than 20 goals across all competitions while also contributing heavily creatively.
Capable of operating anywhere across the frontline, the forward has already recorded 23 goals and 10 assists across the Under-17 and Under-18 age groups this season, underlining both his finishing ability and all-round attacking quality.
He also played a key role in Albion’s FA Youth Cup campaign, scoring in their thrilling 4-3 victory over AFC Bournemouth earlier in the season.
With his combination of experience, versatility and attacking output, French will undoubtedly be one of Palace’s biggest threats to manage on Saturday afternoon.
The Gaffer – Chay Thompson
After spending three seasons as assistant to Leigh Downing before the latter’s promotion to the Under-21s setup, Chay Thompson stepped into the role of West Bromwich Albion Under-18s head coach ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
The appointment has already proven a successful one, with Thompson overseeing significant progress from the club’s scholarship group during his first season in charge.
Before arriving at The Hawthorns in 2022, Thompson spent almost a decade working within Coventry City’s academy system, developing a strong reputation for youth coaching and player development.
His influence has been evident throughout West Brom’s impressive campaign, with the young Baggies becoming one of the most improved sides in the division under his guidance.
How to follow
The match will be streamed LIVE on Palace TV+ on Saturday morning (9th May), with coverage beginning at 11:45 BST ahead of a 12:00 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+.
Match Details
Crystal Palace Under-18s v West Brom Under-18s
- Saturday, 9th May
- 12:00 BST
- Crystal Palace Academy
- U18 Premier League South
- Watch LIVE on Palace TV+