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U21s Preview: Palace kick off 26/27 against Arsenal
Crystal Palace Under-21s begin their 2026/27 Premier League 2 campaign against Arsenal at Boreham Wood’s Meadow Park on Saturday afternoon.
Eagle-Eyed Review
Darren Powell’s side head into the new campaign after another encouraging season, securing a third successive Premier League 2 play-off place with a 10th-place finish in the league phase.
The Young Eagles then beat Liverpool on penalties in a dramatic round-of-16 tie before bowing out to Manchester United in the quarter-finals.
Palace have also been busy in pre-season, facing senior opposition in Dagenham & Redbridge and Horsham FC, before travelling to Rotterdam to take on Feyenoord.
A 2-2 draw against the Dutch side was followed by victory over QPR, with Adler Nascimento scoring twice against both Feyenoord and QPR.
Nascimento heads into the new campaign as Palace’s leading pre-season scorer with five goals.
Powell’s side will also compete in the EFL Trophy and Premier League International Cup this season, with Plymouth Argyle, Swindon Town and Newport County awaiting in the former, while Paris Saint-Germain, PSV Eindhoven, RSC Anderlecht and FC Porto make up their International Cup group.
Our opponents – Arsenal
Arsenal finished 14th in Premier League 2 last season, but once again reached the knockout stages, maintaining their 100 per cent record of progressing to the play-offs since the competition moved to a single-division format in 2023.
The Young Gunners were knocked out in the opening round, however, losing 3-1 to eventual champions Manchester City.
An Arsenal Academy XI also drew 1-1 with National League side Boreham Wood in pre-season.
Premier League 2 Explained
Premier League 2 retains its Swiss-style league phase for 26/27, but a revised fixture-generation process has been introduced following the addition of AFC Bournemouth and Brentford as Category One clubs.
The competition now features 31 teams, split into three tiers based on their average finishing position over the previous three seasons.
Each club will play 20 matches – 10 home and 10 away – against opponents from across the three tiers.
The top 16 will progress to the Premier League 2 play-offs, while teams finishing 17th to 24th will enter a separate end-of-season competition alongside the top eight Professional Development League sides.
Team news
Arsenal handed professional contracts to four Academy players over the summer.
Right-back Callan Hamill made 38 appearances across Arsenal’s Academy sides last season, while defender Elijah Upson, versatile defender Josh Ogunnaike and goalkeeper Remi Lupinski have also put pen to paper.
Lupinski joined Arsenal from MK Dons last season and impressed for the U18s during 25/26.
Pre-match analysis
Arsenal finished 14th last season with 29 points, recording eight wins, five draws and seven defeats.
They scored 28 goals and conceded 33, while ending the campaign with three defeats in their final five matches.
Key Player – Brandon Bailey-Joseph
Brandon Bailey-Joseph has progressed through Arsenal’s Academy since joining at eight.
The winger signed his first professional contract in October 2025 and scored 11 goals across the Academy last season.
He was rewarded with his senior debut in January, coming off the bench in a Champions League victory over Kairat Almaty.
The Gaffer – David Horseman
Horseman is the new head coach of Arsenal U21s. He arrived at the club in September 2025 as the Young Gunners Professional Development Phase - Elite Player Development Coach, taking charge of U9s in the UEFA Youth League and the U21s in the EFL Trophy.
He will now lead the U21s in Premier League 2, following the departure of head coach Max Porter, who has taken up a role as assistant manager at Championship side, Stoke City.
How to follow
Be there in person, with admission free for supporters travelling to Boreham Wood’s Meadow Park.
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 will be available on Palace TV+.
Match Details
Arsenal Under-21s v Crystal Palace Under-21s
- Saturday, 22nd August
- 13:00 BST
- Meadow Park, Boreham Wood
- Premier League 2
- Watch LIVE on Palace TV+