Barclays Under-21 Premier League 2015 Table: Latest Standings, Results on Feb 16
Two matches were on the schedule for Monday's U21 Premier League action, as Liverpool held on for a 1-0 win over Sunderland thanks to a first-half goal from Cameron Brannagan and Derby County trashed Aston Villa 3-0 at Pirelli Stadium.
The Reds inch closer to the top of the standings in Division 1 following the result, leaping over Sunderland in the process. Derby County join Newcastle and Arsenal t the top of the standings in Division 2.
Here's how the standings look after Monday's action:
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| 1 | Chelsea U21 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 25 | 16 | 9 | 21 |
| 2 | Man Utd U21 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 13 | 8 | 21 |
| 3 | Southampton U21 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 24 | 22 | 2 | 21 |
| 4 | Everton U21 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 19 |
| 5 | Spurs U21 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 19 |
| 6 | Liverpool U21 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 17 |
| 7 | Man City U21 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 23 | 22 | 1 | 17 |
| 8 | Fulham U21 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 23 | -5 | 16 |
| 9 | Sunderland U21 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 17 | -5 | 15 |
| 10 | Leicester U21 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 22 | -4 | 13 |
| 11 | Norwich U21 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 20 | -5 | 13 |
| 12 | West Ham U21 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 12 | 24 | -12 | 11 |
| 1 | Newcastle U21 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 32 | 20 | 12 | 24 |
| 2 | Arsenal U21 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 24 |
| 3 | Derby U21 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 28 | 17 | 11 | 24 |
| 4 | West Brom U21 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 25 | 15 | 10 | 23 |
| 5 | Middlesbrough U21 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 23 |
| 6 | Reading U21 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 25 | 26 | -1 | 20 |
| 7 | Bolton U21 | 15 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 21 | 20 | 1 | 19 |
| 8 | Brighton U21 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 16 | -6 | 12 |
| 9 | Aston Villa U21 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 29 | -17 | 12 |
| 10 | Blackburn U21 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 22 | -5 | 10 |
| 11 | Wolves U21 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 22 | -7 | 9 |
| 12 | Stoke U21 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 15 | 28 | -13 | 9 |
Liverpool were desperate for a win over Sunderland to move away from the relegation zone in Division 1, and a single strike from Brannagan was enough to hand the Reds a win on Monday.
The club's official Twitter feed shared the final score:
Liverpool were far from impressive but got the job done against a resilient Sunderland side, with Brannagan scoring seven minutes before half-time.
The two teams served up a tight battle with few chances after the break, and despite some late pressure from the visitors, Liverpool always seemed likely to walk away with the win.
The result means the Reds now have a four-point buffer over relegation candidates Leicester City and Norwich, along with a match in hand.
The Rams didn't have the brightest start to their match against Aston Villa, as the Villans were by far the most threatening team early and Alefe Santos had to be substituted inside the first 10 minutes.
A set-piece goal gave the visitors the lead immediately after, however, with Shaquille McDonald producing a fine finish to put the Rams ahead, as shared by the club's official Twitter feed:
Villa continued to apply pressure and Charles N'Zogbia drew a fine save from Jonathan Mitchell, but Derby County started producing some chances of their own, spearheaded by McDonald.
Another set piece gave the Rams a 2-0 lead, Callum Guy producing the second goal five minutes before half-time. Despite a late push from Villa, the visitors held on to their advantage:
Villa pushed forward with numbers, but Derby County did an excellent job containing highly rated youngster Jack Grealish, who had one of his worst outings of the season and failed to put his stamp on the match.
Guy doubled his tally to put the visitors up 3-0, and the Rams cruised to the finish from there. Villa's Twitter feed shared the final result:
Derby remain in contention for promotion to Division 1 at the end of the season, now locked in a three-way tie at the top of the standings with Newcastle and Arsenal. Almost nothing separates the teams at the top of the table, however, as Division 2 appears headed for a fantastic finish to the season.
