U21s preview: Arsenal v Crystal Palace

Our under-21s kick off their Premier League 2 campaign on Saturday afternoon with a London derby against Crystal Palace at Mangata Developments Stadium. Kick-off in north London is scheduled for 1pm (UK).

Last season, we maintained our 100% record of qualifying for the Premier League play-offs with a 14th-place finish in the 29-team league table.

A new season starts with a new manager for our under-21s, who will be guided by David Horseman this season. The English coach took charge of our EFL Trophy and UEFA Youth League fixtures last season, and will also be at the helm for our Premier League 2 games in 2026/27.

THE OPPOSITION

Like ourselves, the Eagles finished in the top 16 of last season's table to ensure progress to the end-of-season play-offs.

A tenth-place finish set up a thrilling knockout tie with Liverpool, a game Palace won on penalties after both sides scored in extra time in a 3-3 draw.

But having eliminated the Reds from the play-offs, Palace found themselves on the wrong end of their quarter-final result, losing 2-0 at home to eventual runners-up Manchester United.

The south London side came out on top in our league meeting last season, scoring either side of half-time to beat us 2-0 in the final game of the regular season.

HOW TO FOLLOW

The action gets underway from 1pm (UK) at Meadow Park, with live updates available throughout the match on our Academy X account.

Post-match, don't miss exclusive interviews with new under-21s Head Coach David Horseman and one of his young Gunners, as well as highlights of all the key action from the contest.