Under 18 2 – 3 Crystal Palace U18 – Match Report
Our under-18s were twice ahead but unfortunately ended up on the losing side in a 3-2 defeat to Crystal Palace in the U18 Premier League South.
In the game at Sobha Reality Training Centre, Ceadach O’Neill gave us an early lead after converting from the spot, before Raihaan Anderson levelled the scoreline for the Eagles.
Much like the first 45, we soon had ourselves ahead, this time through Louis Zecevic John, who rose highest in the air to score, but Donte Martin restored parity for Palace before netting again to steal an away win for the visitors.
WHAT HAPPENED
We won ourselves a penalty in the initial stages of the affair, when Saurup Sampang was taken out by Khyan Frazer-Williams in Palace’s box. O’Neill stepped up and tucked his shot into the bottom left corner to earn the perfect start.
The visitors equalised on the half-hour mark when Frazer-Williams made amends for his earlier error and picked out Anderson on the left, who did well to shift the ball onto his favoured right foot and bend one into the top corner.
Mishel Nduka was introduced from the bench at half-time and made an immediate impact, winning a corner that Brando Bailey-Joseph swung in for Zecevic John to head home and retake our advantage.
The south London side hit back again on the hour mark, when Ajean-Ray Greaves saw his strike rebound off Remi Lupinski’s upright and fall kindly for Martin to nod beyond our goalkeeper.
Nduka continued to make things happen as we pushed for a winner, after Bailey-Joseph picked him out down the left flank and got his shot away, which was placed narrowly wide of the post.
But it was our city neighbours who snatched victory late on when Greaves travelled down the right and cut it back for Martin to finish with aplomb past Lupinski, doubling his personal tally and ultimately deciding the tie.
WHAT’S NEXT
Our young Gunners continue their U18 Premier League South campaign when they travel to Leicester City on Saturday, May 2.
Kick-off at Leicester City Training Ground is at 11.30am (UK time).
LINE UPS
Arsenal XI: Lupinski, Sampang, Mbala, Hamill (Talbot 90), Stachow, Murisa, Zecevic John (Thompson 77), Julienne (Arteta 77), O’Neill (Hashi 81), Marciniak (Nduka 45), Bailey-Joseph.
Crystal Palace XI: Benetton, Bull, Frazer-Williams, Walker-Smith (Bonsu-Amako 82), Monk, Okoli, Greaves, Fasida, Martin, Anderson (Lamidi 90+5), Moses (Smith-Phillips 63, McDonald 90).
Subs not used: Sixty.
Copyright 2026 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
