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U18s preview: Young Eagles face in-form Spurs
Crystal Palace Under-18s welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Copers Cope on Saturday (11:00 BST), looking to turn improved performances into points in the U18 Premier League South.
The story so far
The Young Eagles made a flying start to 2026/27, beating West Ham United 3-1 away from home.
Since then, results have been harder to come by, with Javier Alonso’s side losing their next three. A three-goal spell in three minutes proved decisive in a 4-1 defeat to Southampton, before Palace were narrowly beaten 2-1 by Nottingham Forest in the U18 Premier League Cup.
The performances, however, have been moving in the right direction.
Against Forest, a controversial penalty put the visitors ahead, but Dotun Lamidi’s excellent set-piece created the equaliser for Jacob Fasida. Palace pushed for a second before half-time, with AJ Greaves striking the post.
The Young Eagles then produced another encouraging display against Aston Villa over the Bank Holiday weekend, only to suffer a narrow 1-0 defeat.
Alonso will now be looking for his side to turn those improved performances into a result against one of the league’s early pace-setters.
The opposition – Tottenham Hotspur
It’s a tough assignment…
Tottenham have won all three of their U18 Premier League South matches so far and sit top of the table on goal difference.
Jamie Carr’s side began with back-to-back 6-1 victories over Reading and Norwich City before producing another goal-filled display against Birmingham City, winning 8-2 at Hotspur Way.
Oliver Boast struck twice, while Armend Muslika and Cameron Thomas also scored twice each, with the latter registering his first U18 goals.
In between those league wins, Spurs also edged Derby County 3-2 in the U18 Premier League Cup on Wednesday.
Previous meetings
Palace and Tottenham met three times last season, with the Young Eagles unbeaten across the trio.
Almost a year ago, Benji Casey hit his first hat-trick of the campaign as Palace won 3-2 at Hotspur Way.
The sides then played out a 1-1 draw at Copers Cope in February, before Palace returned to north London later in the season and booked their place in the Premier League Cup final with a hard-fought 1-0 victory.
The decisive moment came in the 80th minute, when Jasper Judd’s inswinging corner found David Angibeaud, whose towering header sent Palace through.
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
Javier Alonso will assess his squad ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Spurs.
Likely line-up – Spurs
Jack, Thomas, Olajide, Hanson, Tingey (c), Beckles, Coffi Smith, Glancy, Boast, Muslika, Vidal-Philbert.
Pre-match analysis
Tottenham have been ruthless in front of goal, scoring 20 times in their three league games so far – the most in the division.
They have also conceded just four, giving them the league’s best defensive record alongside their attacking numbers.
Palace will therefore need to be at their best at both ends of the pitch if they are to halt Spurs’ perfect start.
Key player – Oliver Boast
Boast has been one of the standout performers in Spurs’ flying start.
The forward has scored six goals and provided three assists in the U18 Premier League South, finding the net twice in each of his three league appearances.
He was also prolific last season, scoring 14 goals in just 11 games.
The Gaffer – Jamie Carr
The 34-year-old arrived at Hotspur Way in November 2025 after seven years with Manchester City’s Academy, where he most recently worked with the Under-16s and as an assistant with the Under-18s.
Born and raised in Dublin, the former defender began his coaching career at Reading and also spent six months working with young players in India before joining City in 2018.
He progressed from the Under-13s to the Under-16s and Under-18s during his time in Manchester, before taking charge of Spurs’ U18s.
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
Crystal Palace Under-18s v Tottenham Hotspur Under-18s
- Saturday, 5th September
- 11:00 BST
- Crystal Palace Academy
- U18 Premier League South
- Watch LIVE on Palace TV+