U21s preview Palace v Arsenal: Young Eagles close PL2 league phase with home London derby
Crystal Palace Under-21s host Arsenal in our final Premier League 2 league phase fixture on Monday (13th April, 19:00 BST) at the VBS Community Stadium – here is everything you need to know!
EAGLE-EYED REVIEW
Palace Under-21s were beaten 2-0 by in-form Nottingham Forest on Good Friday, missing the chance to mathematically secure their Premier League 2 play-off place at the Nigel Doughty Academy – a spot they have since confirmed thanks to favourable results elsewhere.
The defeat ended a three-match unbeaten run, which included impressive wins over Wolves, Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool, the latter a standout 5-1 victory against one of the division’s form sides.
Powell’s side sit 13th in Premier League 2 on 28 points, level with Leicester City. Victory in the final round would lift them as high as ninth – just short of the top eight required for a home tie in the round of 16 – but a higher finish would still offer a more favourable draw in the seeded bracket, with first facing 16th, second facing 15th, and so on.
Despite recent setbacks, Palace remain well placed heading into the final round of fixtures and will look to finish as high as possible ahead of the PL2 elimination play-offs.
INTO THE PL2 PLAY-OFFS
Palace Under-21s have secured a place in the Premier League 2 play-offs for the third consecutive season, qualifying with a game to spare.
Under the revamped 29-team format, each side plays 20 regular-season fixtures, with the top 16 progressing to a single-elimination play-off. Higher-ranked teams earn home advantage, and a top-16 finish also secures qualification for next season’s Premier League International Cup.
Palace sealed their place following favourable results elsewhere and, while a top-eight finish – and with it a home tie in the round of 16 – is no longer attainable, they will still aim to finish as high as possible to secure a more favourable position in the seeded bracket.
OUR OPPONENTS - ARSENAL U21s
Arsenal have already secured their place in the Premier League 2 play-offs, with qualification confirmed by results elsewhere earlier in the week. A 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday kept their slim hopes of a top-eight finish alive heading into the final round of fixtures.
The Gunners sit 11th on 29 points and could still break into the top eight with victory over Palace, though it would require a significant swing in goal difference and a heavy defeat for North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Last season, the Gunners enjoyed a dramatic run in the competition. A late penalty secured a 2-1 victory over Newcastle United in the round of 16, but their campaign came to an end in the quarter-finals, where eventual champions Manchester City struck late to force extra time before finding a winner.
Despite the win over West Brom, Under-21s head coach Max Porter was candid in his assessment of his side’s performance and the standards required ahead of facing Palace. “I’m going to be totally honest, we did not perform well,” he admitted. “We had a spell where we looked more like ourselves, and we scored a good goal, but either side of that we weren’t at the level.”
Porter highlighted issues in possession as a key area for improvement, adding: “We had too many cheap giveaways and too many poor decisions. Without the ball, we actually impressed, but with it we need to be far better.”
Looking ahead, he made clear what he expects from his side: “The main thing for us is to go there and put on a performance more like us. If we perform better, we give ourselves a much better chance of winning.”
Arsenal’s academy continues to be one of the most productive in English football, consistently supplying players to the senior squad. Ethan Nwaneri made headlines as the youngest player in Premier League history when he debuted at just 15, while Myles Lewis-Skelly has since established himself as a regular part of the first-team setup.
More recently, Max Dowman has followed that pathway, becoming the second-youngest player to feature in the competition. Their progression underlines the strength of Arsenal’s development pathway, with a clear route from academy football to senior opportunities at the highest level.
LIKELY LINE-UPS
Expected Arsenal U21 XI: Ranson, Washington, Clarke ©, Ogunnaike, Hamil, Agustien, Ibrahim, Julienne, Bailey-Joseph, Mooney, Ferdinand.
TEAM NEWS
There are a number of possible variations in Arsenal’s starting XI. Khari Ranson or Jack Porter could start in goal, while Theo Julienne or Jaden Dixon are options in defence. Demiane Agustien is likely to feature in midfield, and Sebastian Ferdinand or Archie Stevens could lead the line.
PRE-MATCH ANALYSIS
Arsenal’s recent form has been mixed, with just one win in their last five matches, placing them towards the lower end of the form table across the 29 Category One academies. Their away record has been similarly inconsistent, with two wins, one draw and two defeats in their last five on the road, conceding 13 goals in that time.
Reflecting on their latest performance, Porter acknowledged that his side fell short of their usual standards despite securing the result. He noted that while there were brief spells of quality, overall execution and decision-making on the ball must improve, with defensive resilience having been key to their victory.
KEY PLAYER – DEMIANE AGUSTIEN
Demiane Agustien joined Arsenal from Derby County in July 2025 after impressing at academy level with the Midlands club.
The son of former Premier League midfielder Kemy Agustien, he is a versatile and creative player capable of operating in multiple roles across midfield. After featuring heavily during pre-season, he made his debut in a narrow defeat to Fulham and has continued to develop throughout the campaign, scoring in the recent win over West Brom.
THE GAFFER – MAX PORTER
Max Porter was appointed as Arsenal’s Under-21s head coach ahead of the current season, following Mehmet Ali’s departure to Brentford.
A former professional with experience across the Football League and non-league, Porter has been part of Arsenal’s academy setup since 2017. He progressed through a number of coaching roles, from Under-9s level up to Under-19s, before stepping into the Under-21s role.
Having previously worked closely with the group as assistant, he now leads the side with support from professional development phase lead coach Ken Gillard, continuing Arsenal’s strong emphasis on youth development.
HOW TO FOLLOW
The match will be streamed LIVE on Palace TV+ on Monday (13th April), with coverage beginning at 18:45 BST ahead of a 19:00 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
Southampton Under-18s v Crystal Palace Under-18s
- Monday, 13th April
- 19:00 BST
- VBS Community Stadium
- Premier League 2
- Watch LIVE on Palace TV+
TICKET PRICES:
- Adults: £5
- Seniors (Over-65s): £1
- Juniors (Under-18s): £1
- Academy Founder Members: Free (1 per AFM)
Tickets can also be purchased by clicking here and will be issued at the point of sale as PDF print-at-home tickets.