U18s Report & Highlights: Stunning display books place in PL Cup knockouts

Academy

22 Nov 2025

Crystal Palace Under-18s secured an impressive 4–0 victory over Chelsea on Saturday (22nd November) at the Crystal Palace Academy, booking their place in the Premier League Cup knockout stages.

Summary:

Javier Alonso makes three changes, which includes the return of skipper Jasper Judd.
10: Possession is evenly matched with both sides probing.
12: Makai Bernard-Ferguson is clear away on goal, but an excellent recovery challenge stops the forward in his tracks.
19: Plenty of promising signs for Palace as Chelsea survive set-piece barrage after set-piece barrage.
23 – GOAL: David Angibeaud opens the scoring after capitalising on a stray pass.
43 – GOAL: Bernard-Ferguson doubles our lead after a wonderful steered finish that looped over the 'keeper.
HT: Palace 2-0 Chelsea
46: Stuart Oduro makes it three by drilling a shot into the far corner.
60: Bernard-Ferguson drifts inside and whips a strike inches wide of the far post.
82: Substitute Mylo Bernard forces the 'keeper into a diving save one-on-one.
89 – GOAL: Donte Martin lashes the ball home for four!
FT: Palace 4-0 Chelsea
Palace progress through to the knockout stages.

Angibeaud capitalised on a defensive error to open the scoring, before Bernard-Ferguson’s looping finish doubled the lead on the stroke of half-time. Oduro made it three early in the second half after a flowing team move, and Donte Martin rounded off the win in the closing stages.

Palace knew exactly what was at stake heading into the final round of Group D in the Premier League Cup.

Sitting on four points and boasting a superior goal difference over fellow table-toppers Manchester City – following a thrilling 3-3 draw with the Citizens and a 3-1 victory over Sheffield United – it was essentially a must-win clash, with only the group winner advancing to the knockout stages.

Palace needed to match or better City’s result, who were taking on Sheffield at the same time, to secure top spot.

Opponents Chelsea, by contrast, came into the fixture on a solitary point alongside Sheffield, meaning they were only realistic contenders if they could beat Palace and City slipped up. The Blues arrived unbeaten in the league, sitting fourth with 15 points and just seven goals conceded, carrying the pedigree of 2021/22 Premier League Cup winners.

Javier Alonso made three changes to the side that fell to a narrow 3–2 defeat against West Ham in the league before the international break.

Marcus Hill came in for Harry Whitworth in goal, while captain Jasper Judd returned to the XI, replacing Josh Muwana at wide defender. Up front, U16 striker Mylo Bernard dropped to the bench, with newly signed professional Donte Martin stepping into the forward line.

On the bench, U16 centre-back Dylan Monk, Oladotun Lamidi, and Seb Bonsu-Amako made way for Khyan Frazer-Williams, Daniel Owoade, and Raihaan Anderson.

In overcast, freezing conditions, Palace began by probing the Chelsea backline. The young Eagles applied early pressure through a series of set pieces, blocked shots, and lofted passes in behind.

Approaching the ten-minute mark, possession remained evenly balanced, with both sides looking to break lines. A vital sliding challenge from Charlie Walker-Smith, however, snuffed out a dangerous pull-back that would have teed up the onrushing attacker for a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Moments later, the momentum swung firmly in Palace’s favour. Makai Bernard-Ferguson was sent clean through on goal, only for an excellent recovery tackle to halt him at the decisive moment.

The hosts continued to apply considerable pressure. Walker-Smith’s long throws and Jasper Judd’s energy and endeavour forced Chelsea to withstand a succession of set-piece barrages that produced pinball-like scrambles in the box.

The ‘keeper was called into action several times – most frequently when Palace forced turnovers and delivered another dangerous ball into the area, prompting sharp punches clear under pressure.

As the rain began to pour on 20 minutes, Palace were in the ascendancy, though the visitors had offered the occasional warning sign when breaking at pace.

Midway through the half, Palace took a deserved lead through David Angibeaud, who netted his fourth goal in five games.

Chelsea’s commitment to playing out from the back proved costly as Angibeaud pounced on a loose pass across the defensive line just outside the penalty area. He took a touch to steady himself before rifling home superbly from close range.

Naturally, the pendulum swung as Chelsea looked eager to issue an immediate reply; however, a pair of impressive sliding challenges from Chuks Okoli ensured their attacks came to nothing. It didn’t take long for us to reassert control, and soon we were once again pouring on the attacking pressure.

Chelsea had been slow and deliberate in their build-up, while Palace remained by far the better side.

The advantage was doubled on the stroke of half-time. Jacob Fasida launched a floated delivery into the penalty area, prompting the ‘keeper to rush out, but a defender rose highest to head clear. The clearance fell kindly to Bernard-Ferguson, lingering in the left channel, and he produced a wonderfully steered finish that looped over the backtracking ‘keeper.

It was a dream start to the second half for Palace, as Stuart Oduro made it three just one minute after the restart. It was a wonderful move, building from defence to attack through slick one-touch passing.

The ball eventually found Okoli, who picked out Oduro in space to the left of the penalty area. He took a touch to steady himself before drilling the ball into the far corner for his eighth goal of the 25/26 campaign.

The young Eagles continued to push for more. Angibeaud saw several efforts blocked before they could develop, and Bernard-Ferguson came close to securing a brace when he drifted inside and whipped a strike inches wide of the far post. At the other end, Alonso’s side survived a brief spell of sustained Chelsea pressure.

Approaching the 70-minute mark, the Blues had made a flurry of substitutions in an attempt to spark a heroic comeback. But Palace were cruising – Chelsea were getting forward and working the ball into promising areas, yet nothing truly troubled Hill, who remained untested throughout the second half up to that point.

Entering the final third of the match, Oduro was teed up down the left flank and drilled a low, hard ball across the area towards Angibeaud. The striker, however, miscued the close-range effort as Palace edged agonisingly close to finding a fourth.

Alonso introduced Bernard and Frazer-Williams with ten minutes to play, and the latter made an immediate impact. Walker-Smith’s risky line-breaking pass sparked a sharp give-and-go between Danaher and Okoli, before Danaher threaded a pass through to Bernard. The forward forced the 'keeper into a strong diving save in their one-on-one duel.

In the meantime, confirmation filtered through that City had turned their game around to lead Sheffield United 2–1 – still not enough of a goal difference swing to cause any panic.

The game was put beyond doubt in the dying embers. Judd drove forward down the right channel and floated a deep cross towards the back post. Bernard arrowed it back across the face of goal; the clearance fell only as far as Donte Martin, who lashed it home to seal the victory.

The result means Palace finish top of Group D, level on seven points with Manchester City but ahead on goal difference – six to City’s four. As a result, we progress to the knockout stages, with further details to be announced in due course.

Palace: Hill, Judd © (Owoade, 90'), Fasida, Walker-Smith, Somade, Okoli, Oduro (Frazer-Williams, 78'), Danaher, Angibeaud (Anderson, 90'), Martin, Bernard-Ferguson (Bernard, 78').

Subs not used: Mason.

Chelsea: Bernal, Ebho, Henry, Waite (Diakite, 59'), McGlinchey, Holland (Eboue, 59'), Atherton, da Silva, Greenwood, Rabbaj (Idrissi-Regragui, 59'), Gordon (Vidal-Philbert, 59').

Subs not used: Grimwade.

Related News

More News