Report & Highlights: Palace overcome Arsenal in seven-goal thriller

Summary

• Rob Quinn made four changes to the side, with Billy Eastwood making his first start of the season

• Arsenal took the lead two minutes in through Seb Ferdinand

• Palace responded immediately through Asher Agbinone two minutes later

• Agbinone hit the post in the seventh minute

• Palace took the lead through Agbinone in the 13th minute

• Cormac Austin converted from 12-yards 20 minutes in to give Palace a two-goal cushion

• Osman Kamara pulled one back for Arsenal just before half-time

• Half-time: Crystal Palace 3-2 Arsenal

• Arsenal drew level through Michael Roziak five minutes after the restart

• Palace had a number of half-chances as the second-half went on

• Freddie Bell and Asher Agbinone forced Noah Cooper into saves late on

• With three minutes remaining, David Obou rifled in the winner from the edge of the box

• Full-time: Crystal Palace 4-3 Arsenal

A week from the 4-2 defeat away at Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace faced north London opposition once more as they hosted Arsenal at Copers Cope.

Goalkeeper Billy Eastwood made his first start of the season, coming in for Jackson Izquierdo, amidst four changes. Finley Marjoram, Kaden Rodney, and Hindolo Mustapha were the other three changes as they came in for Caleb Kporha, Jake Grante and David Obou.

Palace found themselves on the back foot early on when Seb Ferdinand put Arsenal ahead with the first chance of the game. The winger drove into the box after a fortunate deflection carried it into his stride and managed to sneak the ball past Eastwood to put the visitors ahead.

Despite conceding so early, the young Eagles were not disheartened. They went straight down the other end and managed to draw level just two minutes later. New signing Franco Umeh managed to lay the ball off for Asher Agbinone who finished brilliantly with a first-time effort on his right-foot.

Momentum swung in Palace’s favour after drawing level. Agbinone rattled the post from a narrow angle, before putting Palace ahead in the 13th minute. Hindolo Mustapha intercepted a weak pass out from Arsenal captain Luis Brown and managed to set Agbinone to finish with ease for his and Palace’s second.

Palace were in the ascendancy and went in search of another to bolster their lead . Forward Zach Marsh was brought down on the edge of the box, 20 minutes in, after a cynical challenge from Josh Nichols and Palace were awarded a penalty.

Cormac Austin, who scored from the spot in the 2-2 draw with rivals Brighton & Hove Albion last month, stepped up from 12-yards and duly converted in emphatic fashion to give Palace a two-goal cushion.

Arsenal managed to pull one back just before the break. Osman Kamara received the ball on the edge of the box, turned and shot in one movement and managed to pick out the top corner.

After the interval, the young Eagles came racing out the blocks to restore the two-goal cushion. Two driven efforts from Umeh early in the half were spilled by Noah Cooper in the Arsenal goal, however no Palace player was on hand to convert.

Though Palace started the second-half well, it was the visitors who got the next goal to draw level. Right-back Michael Rosiak found space on the edge of the box and managed to curl in an effort on his weaker left-foot.

As the second-half went on, both sides had a number of half-chances: Ethan Nwaneri and Nichols came close for Arsenal, while Umeh almost forced an own goal from Rosiak and second-half substitute Freddie Bell forced Cooper into a save.

With three minutes remaining, Obou managed to seal all three points for the south Londoners. A ball from Agbinone into Junior Dixon saw the striker poke it into the path of Obou - who took a touch before rifling it into the bottom left corner and wheeling away in celebration.

Palace saw off the remainder of the game, including the four minutes of time added on, to secure a comeback victory. The result means the young Eagles now move up to second place in the Under 18 Premier League South, three points clear of Fulham.

Crystal Palace: Eastwood (GK), Marjoram, Rodney, Jemide, Cardines, Austin (Bell, 58), Reid, Mustapha (Obou, 72), Umeh (Dixon, 82), Marsh, Agbinone.

Subs not used: Hill (GK), Williams.

Arsenal: Cooper (GK), Rosiak, Robinson, Brown, Nichols (Quamina, 83), Ibrahim (Gower, 30), Oulad-M’hand, Nwaneri, Kamara, Ferdinand (Roberts, 83), Benjamin (Forde, 61).

Subs not used: Rojas-Fedorushchenko (GK).