U21s preview Palace v Nottingham Forest: Young Eagles bid to seal PL2 play-off spot
Crystal Palace Under-21s will aim to seal their Premier League 2 play-off place when they travel to face in-form Nottingham Forest on Good Friday (3rd April, 18:00 GMT) at the Nigel Doughty Academy.
Eagle-Eyed Review
Darren Powell’s young Eagles currently sit 11th in the table on 28 points, level with Leicester City and Sunderland but with a game in hand over both. Palace are well-placed inside the top 16, though mathematical qualification is not yet confirmed.
The team head into the final two fixtures having gone three games unbeaten in PL2, following a 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers, a 2-2 draw with Wolves, and a dominant 5-1 victory over Liverpool, the in-form side of 2026, just before the international break.
Dean Benamar opened the scoring inside seven minutes after controlling George King’s delicious diagonal and half-volleying past the onrushing goalkeeper one-on-one.
Liverpool quickly equalised, but Palace retook the lead when Tyler Whyte bundled home following an inswinging corner. Charlie-Walker Smith added a third immediately after the restart, before two late goals from Kaden Rodney and Jemiah Umolu put the game beyond doubt.
The young Eagles entered the international break on a high, with several players representing their nations.
Benji Casey and Dean Benamar with England U18s in UEFA EURO 2027 qualifying, Walker-Smith preparing for this summer’s UEFA Under-19 EURO Finals with Wales, and Rio Cardines piling on the assists for Trinidad and Tobago in their FIFA series.
What Palace Need to Qualify
Six teams below Palace remain capable of challenging for a play-off spot. Sunderland sit level on points with Palace on 28 from 19 games but are behind on goal difference.
Arsenal (26 points from 18 games), Tottenham Hotspur (26 from 17), and Aston Villa (24 from 16) are all within striking distance. Wolves and Stoke City, both on 22 points from 18 games, could also mathematically catch up.
Middlesbrough, with 24 points from 19 matches, can no longer threaten Palace’s position, leaving the young Eagles well placed to secure a top-16 finish.
A point against Nottingham Forest will be enough to mathematically confirm Palace’s play-off place, as Wolves and Stoke would then be unable to reach 29 points.
A win, however, would not only guarantee qualification but also strengthen Palace’s chances of finishing in the top eight, offering the potential for home advantage in the first round of the play-offs.
Our Opponents – Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest currently sit 17th on 23 points from 19 games, just outside the play-off places and at the top of the cross-category play-offs.
Last time out, Forest recorded a 3-0 win over Newcastle United, marking their second successive victory and keeping their hopes of a top-16 finish alive ahead of their final game against Palace.
Two first-half goals from Chris Wood and 17-year-old Kalum Thompson gave Forest a strong lead, before Donnell McNeilly added a third in his first B Team appearance of the season.
A second successive win, following a comeback triumph away at title-chasing Fulham, signals an upturn in form at a crucial time.
PDP Individual Development Manager and B Team coach Jody Caudwell said: "The win tonight gives us a chance. The players are hungry to try and finish the season on a high, and hopefully we can sneak into the play-offs and have a good go in them."
Prior to their resurgence, Forest endured a five-match losing streak against Southampton, Manchester City, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, and Sunderland.
Defensively, they remain strong, conceding just 23 goals this season (only bettered by the two Manchester clubs in PL2). Scoring has been more of a challenge, with just 21 goals in 19 matches, meaning Palace will need to exploit any opportunity to break down their compact defensive setup.
Premier League 2 Explained
To minimise the impact of relegation on U21 development, the Premier League introduced a new single-division format in 2023/24. The 29 Category One academies now compete in a single tier, playing 20 regular-season fixtures before the top 16 advance to single-elimination play-offs.
Fixtures are determined by a draw based on the past three seasons’ performances. Higher-seeded teams play at home, and the top 16 also earn a place in the following season’s Premier League International Cup. Teams finishing 17th to 24th enter a separate cross-category play-off alongside the top eight Category Two sides, also in knockout format.
Likely Line-Up
Expected Nottingham Forest XI (3-4-3): Murray-Jones; Moreira, Modupe, Orr, Hanks, Sinclair; Thompson, Whitehall, McClure, Blake; Wood.
Team news
Caudwell usually selects a settled starting XI, with nine of the above extremely likely to start. Kalum Thompson and Chris Wood are recent additions.
Caudwell reflected on Wood’s return and the B Team’s role in supporting the first team: "It’s great for the club too because Woody [Chris Wood] came back and scored a goal as he returns from injury. That’s what it’s about in terms of making sure we help the first team in getting the boys fit for after the international break."
He also acknowledged the challenges of integrating younger players following loans in January: "We always knew that with some of the boys going out on loan, we would have to bring a lot of under-18s up and use some of the younger players.
We’ve got through that settling period, done some work on the training ground, and it’s resulted in us turning the results around. We’ve got one more game, and we still have an outside chance of getting into the play-offs."
Pre-Match Analysis
Forest have won seven games, drawn two, and lost ten, placing them 17th out of 29 academies. Their recent form is on the up, with wins over Fulham and Newcastle following a run of five straight defeats, including a 6-1 thrashing by Sunderland.
Defensively, Forest are strong and organised, with only the two Manchester clubs conceding fewer goals in PL2. Palace have historically struggled to break down Forest’s compact backline, with a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park and a 1-0 defeat in the reverse fixture last season.
Scoring has been more difficult for Forest, netting just 21 goals in 19 matches. At home, they have three wins, one draw, and five losses, though this Friday’s match will be at the Nigel Doughty Academy, not their usual home venue of Loughborough University.
Key Player – Kalum Thompson
The 17-year-old forward has made a strong impact since joining from Linfield. Thompson has scored against senior opposition in both the Vertu Trophy and National League Cup, and his three goals and three assists in 15 PL2 games make him Forest’s top scorer.
He scored in the 3-0 win over Newcastle, displaying an instinctive finish and the ability to exploit space behind defenders.
Thompson’s rise this season has been rapid: he became the youngest Forest player ever nominated for PL2 Player of the Month in November, highlighting his potential as a key attacking threat.
The Gaffer – Jody Caudwell
Jody Caudwell has served as Head of Coaching and Player Development at Nottingham Forest FC since June 2017. He brings extensive academy and elite coaching experience, including a role as Coach Developer at the FA.
His coaching philosophy emphasises development through match experience, giving younger players a chance to step up. He has overseen the integration of under-18s into the B Team this season while maintaining competitive results.
Caudwell holds a postgraduate degree in Elite Head of Coaching from the University of Portsmouth and a BSc (Hons) in Sports Science & Technology from Sheffield Hallam University, combining academic insight with practical coaching expertise.
How to follow
The match will be streamed LIVE on Palace TV+ on Good Friday (3rd April), with coverage beginning at 17:45 GMT ahead of a 18:00 GMT 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
Nottingham Forest Under-21s v Crystal Palace Under-21s
- Friday, 3rd April
- 18:00 GMT
- The Nigel Doughty Academy
- Premier League 2 Division One
- Watch LIVE on Palace TV+