Crystal Palace FC's first-ever major European adventure is underway, as we battle to win the UEFA Conference League. Find out how you can join us on our journey.

European Tour

## Our Senegalese Sarr

> Ismaïla Sarr became the club’s third signing of the 2024/25 summer transfer window after joining on a five-year deal from Olympique de Marseille.

The 26-year-old attacker possesses plenty of experience of English football, having spent four years at Watford – recording 34 goals and 22 assists in 131 games – prior to joining Marseille, whom he helped reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League last season.

Sarr's career began in French football with Metz, before moving to Rennes and leading the club into Europe, as well as winning their first Coupe de France in almost half a century.

At international level, he has been a mainstay of the Senegal national side, earning 64 caps, scoring 13 goals and winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021.

His career has also been defined by his eye for the spectacular, having won Goal of the Season awards in both the Football League and the Europa League.

Sarr was ever-present in every Premier League matchday squad in his first season at the club, playing in all 38 games, while also featuring in a further nine cup games. He scored 11 goals across all competitions, with eight additional assists - including a stunning effort against rivals Brighton & Hove Albion and a brace against Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi-final.

2022/23, Watford (v West Bromwich Albion)

EFL Goal of the Season

Watford, 2020/21

Player of the Season

Players' Player of the Season

2018/19, Rennes (v Jablonec)

UEFA Europa League Goal of the Season

December 2024

Crystal Palace Player of the Month

Sarr

Instagram

Appearances

Goals

Sarr Previews Burnley

All Angles of Ismaïla Sarr's Goal v Brighton

The Full 90: Brighton v Crystal Palace | Palace TV+

Extended Highlights: Brighton 0-1 Crystal Palace | Palace TV +

Match Action: Brighton 0-1 Crystal Palace

Strand Larsen presents Sarr with Premier League Man of the Match

Ismaïla Sarr Returns From AFCON

Pre-match Press Conference | RC Strasbourg (A)

Extended Highlights: Crystal Palace 3-1 AZ Alkmaar | Palace TV+

The Full 90: Crystal Palace v AZ Alkmaar | Palace TV+

Sarr wins October's Goal of the Month

Match Highlights: Crystal Palace 3-1 AZ Alkmaar

Goal of the month contenders | October 2025

Extended Highlights: Liverpool 0-3 Crystal Palace | Palace TV+

Match Action: Liverpool 0-3 Crystal Palace

Goals Inside Box

Goals Outside Box

Right Foot

Left Foot

Shots

Shots on target

Hit woodwork

Penalties taken

Penalties scored

Touches

Touches in opposition box

Aerial duels

Aerial duels won

Interceptions

Blocks

Recoveries

Tackles won

Duels won

Clearances

Minutes

Attempted passes

Successful passes

Chances created

Crosses

Yellow cards

Red cards

Fouls won

Fouls Conceded

Season

Games

Strand Larsen on goalscoring home debut

The Palace forward said: “It was a great home debut, until their three quick goals against us. 

“It’s really annoying because I wanted to make this a special day, but I think we've all just got to learn from it. 

“The Premier League is really tough and no games are easy, so this can happen, but at the same time, we need to take responsibility for the lack of concentration we had in those 10 minutes.

“With their first goal, I think all of us were not concentrating or working hard enough from the top to the bottom – even me, I feel like I should have done more to help the team then – so it was really frustrating.

“That can happen, and we just need to find ourselves again and get back into the game. I felt like we gave it a little bit away and played on their strengths, and then we couldn't really keep up with the momentum we had the first 30 minutes.

“We’re really disappointed with that, but we have to take the positives of what we brought to the table in the first 30 minutes.

“I think the reaction of the second-half was a little bit better at least. They made it difficult for us, but we gave it a solid effort. But I think in the end, we could have done a bit more, both to keep it away from our goal, and also to score a third one in the second-half.”


I feel really at home here, and we just have to keep on working

On his own performance – which saw him net a powerful half-volley and an excellent diving header in his first appearance at Selhurst Park as a Palace player – he added: “I thought it was going to be a special day – but I will always remember my first two goals here.

“It was a great feeling and the two assists were amazing. It shows what quality we have in the team.

“Obviously for myself, getting the two first goals here was really important. It's been a long time now and I feel really positive, I feel really at home here, and we just have to keep on working.

“I felt like I could have scored last game, so that was a shame, but I've been really hungry. I've been really pleased to come in here.

“I'm just going to keep on working hard and believe in myself, and that's the most important thing. I think this team has the possibility to do great things and we're not going to dig ourselves down under the ground because of a defeat.”

Jørgen Strand Larsen was disappointed his home debut for Crystal Palace – which started in spectacular fashion – ended in defeat to Burnley, despite the Norwegian netting a brace in front of his new supporters.

Strand Larsen's thoughts on home debut & brace against Burnley

Burnley

Premier League

Crystal Palace

Last Match

UEFA Conference League

Zrinjski Mostar

Next Match

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*The match will be streamed **LIVE on Palace TV+** on Saturday (14th February), with coverage beginning at **10:45 GMT** ahead of a **11:00 GMT** kick-off [**– click HERE to find out more and subscribe**](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/palace-tv/).*

*Supporters can follow live commentary on our [**Academy X (Twitter) page**](https://x.com/CPFCAcademy), with a full match report and reaction published shortly after full-time in our [**Academy news section**](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/academy/).*

***Highlights and extended reaction*** will be available on [**Palace TV+.**](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/palace-tv/)

### Eagle Eyed Review

It has been a landmark spell for Palace Under-18s.

A commanding 5-0 victory over Birmingham City propelled the young Eagles into second place in the U18s Premier League South, before a dramatic 2-1 win over Stevenage secured a first FA Youth Cup quarter-final appearance in more than 15 years.

Momentum is building across both league and cup competitions, with performances striking the balance Javier Alonso has continually demanded: attacking fluency matched by defensive discipline.

That blend was evident against Stevenage. Palace took control midway through the first half, striking twice in quick succession. Stuart Oduro opened the scoring after being expertly threaded through by Jasper Judd, and moments later Benji Casey’s driven delivery forced Alfie Thornett into turning the ball into his own net.

Despite dominating possession, Palace were pulled back before the interval when Lenny Brown rounded Lucca Benetton to halve the deficit.

After the break, the young Eagles reasserted control, sustaining pressure deep inside the Stevenage half. Donte Martin and David Angibeaud both went close, while Woodford was called into action to keep the hosts within touching distance. A nervy finale followed, but Palace showed their resolve to see out the contest and confirm progression.

In the league, Palace sit level on 27 points with Tottenham, with both sides having played 14 matches. Chelsea lead on 33 with a game in hand, while Brighton remain just behind on 26, albeit having played one more.

Saturday’s fixture carries added significance. Palace boast the division’s most prolific attack with 48 goals – comfortably the highest tally in the league – but have conceded 25, the most among the top four. In a title race that may be decided by the finest of margins, goal difference could yet prove crucial.

The schedule remains demanding too, with a Premier League Cup quarter-final against Category Two side Peterborough looming next week – further incentive to maintain momentum at a decisive stage of the season.

### Our Opponents – Tottenham

Tottenham arrive in South London in strong form. Three consecutive victories have propelled them into third place in the league, level on points with Palace.

Spurs have rediscovered rhythm after an inconsistent start to the campaign. Following an opening-day 2-2 draw with West Brom, results fluctuated – victories over Norwich, West Ham and Birmingham interspersed with defeats to Palace (3-2) and Southampton (4-2). Since then, however, their domestic trajectory has been upward.

Across their recent run, Spurs have been particularly impressive defensively, recording four straight wins and clean sheets in league and cup competition, defeating Fulham (5-0), Aston Villa (1-0), Norwich (3-0) and Bristol City (3-0) – 12-0 on aggregate.

Their FA Youth Cup campaign, however, ended early with a 5-2 defeat to Brighton, but they responded well domestically and progressed strongly in the Under-18 Premier League Cup.

In Europe, Spurs made a fast start in the UEFA Youth League, winning their opening three fixtures before suffering setbacks against FC Copenhagen and Paris Saint-Germain. A recent 5-1 defeat to Real Betis brought their continental campaign to a close, and they now return to league action looking to respond.

The reverse fixture earlier this season saw Palace claim a thrilling 3-2 victory at Tottenham, with Benji Casey netting his first hat-trick of the campaign.

&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;We advance to the semi-final of the U18 PL Cup! COYS🤍 &lt;a href="<https://t.co/1lzAwCFg9q"&gt;pic.twitter.com/1lzAwCFg9q&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&mdash>; Tottenham Hotspur Academy (@Spurs_Academy) &lt;a href="<https://twitter.com/Spurs_Academy/status/2016979062707679514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;January> 29, 2026&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; &lt;script async src="<https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js>" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

### Likely line-ups

**Spurs expected XI:** D. Thompson; Tingey, Byrne, Hardy, Upson; Tye Hall (c), Williams-Barnett, Thompson; Elliott-Parris, Olusesi, Adewole.

### Team news

Dylan Thompson is expected to start in goal. Tyler Tingey could partner Elijah Upson at centre-back, with Harry Byrne and Malachi Hardy providing additional defensive options.

Captain Tye Hall anchors the midfield, potentially joined by the influential Luca Williams-Barnett should he feature for the Under-18s.

In attack, Tynan Thompson, Reiss Elliott-Parris and Miracle Adewole offer pace and direct threat in the forward areas.

### Pre-Match Analysis

Tottenham have won eight, drawn three and lost three of their 14 league fixtures. They have scored 37 goals – the third-highest tally behind Palace and Chelsea – and boast one of the division’s strongest defensive records, conceding just 17 (second only to Chelsea’s 12).

Their recent run of four consecutive wins and clean sheets underlines their balance at both ends of the pitch. However, the 5-1 defeat away to Real Betis in midweek may test their response and resilience.

For Palace, the equation is clear: continue the attacking output while tightening defensive discipline. With both sides level on points and boasting title ambitions, Saturday’s contest could prove a defining moment in the race.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Our UEFA Youth League campaign comes to an end. <a href="https://t.co/XDVhF2M8VX">pic.twitter.com/XDVhF2M8VX</a></p>&mdash; Tottenham Hotspur Academy (@Spurs_Academy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Spurs_Academy/status/2019121948131762349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Key Player

**Armend Muslika** has been Spurs’ most prolific league scorer this season, registering nine goals in just eight appearances. A clinical finisher with sharp movement, he provides a focal point in attack – though competition for places means he is not always guaranteed to lead the line.

One of the Academy’s standout talents, **Luca Williams-Barnett** scored 19 goals in 20 U18 Premier League South appearances last season. Now featuring regularly for the U21s, he has contributed five goals in nine matches at that level. Across U18 and U21 football since 2023, he has amassed 28 goals and 13 assists in 37 games. He has also made his senior debut in the Carabao Cup. While unlikely to feature, his inclusion would significantly raise Spurs’ attacking threat.

In fine form, **Reiss Elliott-Parris** has four goals in his last three league games, including a hat-trick against Fulham. Originally a centre-back before transitioning into attack, he combines physicality with intelligent movement. A product of Spurs’ Academy since Under-9 level, he remains a versatile and dangerous presence.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Reiss Elliott-Parris with a late winner against Aston Villa! 🎯 <a href="https://t.co/cgcHRINlPA">pic.twitter.com/cgcHRINlPA</a></p>&mdash; Tottenham Hotspur Academy (@Spurs_Academy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Spurs_Academy/status/2011442826463093232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### The Gaffer

Jamie Carr took charge of Tottenham’s Under-18s at the end of November.

The 34-year-old joined from Manchester City’s Academy, where he spent seven years developing elite youth talent, most recently as Under-16s Coach and assistant with the Under-18s.

A former defender born and raised in Dublin, Carr began his coaching career at Reading before a stint working with young players in India. Since arriving at Hotspur Way, he has overseen a clear upturn in domestic form.

Away from football, Carr is no stranger to endurance challenges – completing six ultra-marathons in six days across the Sahara Desert and a remarkable 3,000-mile solo row across the Atlantic Ocean.

His resilience and competitive drive are traits now reflected in a Spurs side finding consistency at a crucial stage of the season.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“In the first half we probably lacked a little bit of a cutting edge in the final third – that was the message at half-time, considering the amount of control we had in the game.”<br><br>Reaction from Under-18s Coach Jamie Carr after our 3-0 win against Norwich City 💬 <a href="https://t.co/cwaEokmjGA">pic.twitter.com/cwaEokmjGA</a></p>&mdash; Tottenham Hotspur Academy (@Spurs_Academy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Spurs_Academy/status/2015397992040149453?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### HOW TO FOLLOW

The match will be streamed **LIVE on Palace TV+** on Saturday (14th February), with coverage beginning at **10:45 GMT** ahead of a **11:00 GMT** kick-off [**– click HERE to find out more and subscribe**](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/palace-tv/).

Supporters can follow live commentary on our [**Academy X (Twitter) page**](https://x.com/CPFCAcademy), with a full match report and reaction published shortly after full-time in our [**Academy news section**](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/academy/).

**Highlights and extended reaction** will be available on [**Palace TV+.**](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/palace-tv/)

### MATCH DETAILS

**Crystal Palace Under-18s v Tottenham Hotspur Under-18s**

- Saturday, 14th February
- 11:00 GMT
- U18s Premier League South
- VBS Community Stadium
- Watch LIVE on [Palace TV+](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/palace-tv/)

Crystal Palace Under-18s host Tottenham Hotspur this Saturday at the Academy in a pivotal clash in the U18s Premier League South title race. Here’s everything you need to know.

U18s preview v Tottenham: Palace set for crucial title showdown

Crystal Palace U18 v Tottenham Hotspur U18 (2026-02-14)

An eight-minute period before half-time, where Burnley scored three goals to turn the game around, undid an excellent start from Palace who had stormed into a 2-0 lead.

And despite the Eagles dominating the second-half and creating some good chances, the visitors held on for the win.

Lacroix, making his 80th appearance for Palace, said the manner in which they conceded the goals made it a particularly frustrating evening.

“I think we lost our focus for 10 minutes,” he said. “And we conceded three goals in these 10 minutes.

“So I think it's a big mistake from us. We are a little bit frustrated about that, about this result.

“We could have done better for the fans. I think we lost our concentration and this is not professional.

“We have to work on this, because we want to have a successful season. If we reduce these types of mistakes, we can still have a beautiful season.”

Despite a disappointing night, the bright spark for Palace was two goals from Jørgen Strand Larsen on his home debut.

“I’m happy for my teammate,” Lacroix added. “I think he is already part of the group, it feels like he’s been here for a long time.

“I was happy to see him score today and I think the fans are also happy \[with him\].”

Maxence Lacroix said Crystal Palace can still have a successful season if they cut out silly mistakes following Wednesday’s defeat against Burnley.

First-team

First-team

Strand Larsen's thoughts on home debut & brace against Burnley

U18s preview v Tottenham: Palace set for crucial title showdown

Lacroix: We are all frustrated

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7Ismaïla
Sarr

First-team

First-team

Strand Larsen's thoughts on home debut & brace against Burnley

U18s preview v Tottenham: Palace set for crucial title showdown

Lacroix: We are all frustrated

Shop Palace Shirts

7IsmaïlaSarr

7Ismaïla
Sarr