Crystal Palace Under-18s will visit Arsenal in the U18 Premier League South on Saturday, with kick-off scheduled for 11:00 BST, aiming to return to winning ways after a challenging spell.
The Young Eagles opened the 2026/27 campaign with a 3-1 victory over West Ham United, but have since suffered league defeats against Southampton, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur. Their Premier League Cup campaign also began with a 2-1 loss to Nottingham Forest. Toby Williams’ long-range effort against West Ham was later recognised as August’s Goal of the Month.
Palace’s latest outing saw them lose 4-2 to Tottenham at the Academy despite taking a two-goal lead. Donte Martin scored twice during an encouraging first half, before Spurs fought back after the interval and eventually completed the comeback. Martin was also influential in last season’s meeting with Arsenal, scoring both goals in Palace’s 3-2 away win.
Arsenal have one win, one draw and two defeats from their opening four league matches. After drawing 0-0 with West Bromwich Albion and losing to Ipswich Town and Brighton & Hove Albion, the Gunners claimed their first victory last weekend by beating Southampton 1-0. Maalik Hashi scored the decisive first-half goal.
Palace remained unbeaten in their two meetings with Arsenal last season, following the away victory with a 2-2 draw on the final day. The Young Eagles secured that point despite spending a significant period with 10 men and finished the campaign fifth. Saturday’s opponents include former Palace Academy striker Mylo Bernard, who scored more than 40 goals across the Academy last season, including six in the U18 Premier League.
The match will be shown live on Palace TV+, with coverage starting at 10:45 BST. Supporters can also follow updates through the Academy’s X account, while a match report, reaction and later highlights will be available through Palace’s Academy channels and Palace TV+.
