Barclays U21 Premier League 2015: Friday Scores, Results, Table, Next Fixtures
Arsenal continued their march toward the top of Group B of the 2015 Barclays Under-21 Premier League season on Friday, beating West Ham United 5-0 in dominant fashion. Meanwhile, in Group A, Chelsea and Norwich City played out an entertaining 2-2 draw.
The Gunners cruised to an easy win on Friday and are unbeaten after three matches, as they look to regain their spot in Group A. Thanks to the emphatic win over West Ham, they now lead the standings on goal difference.
Here's a look at the current standings:
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| 1 | Reading U21 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 7 |
| 2 | Sunderland U21 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 6 |
| 3 | Southampton U21 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 5 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hots… | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 4 |
| 5 | Norwich City U21 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | +0 | 4 |
| 6 | Chelsea U21 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 4 |
| 7 | Manchester Cit… | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | +0 | 2 |
| 8 | Middlesbrough U21 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 2 |
| 9 | Leicester City U21 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 2 |
| 10 | Everton U21 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 2 |
| 11 | Manchester Uni… | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 1 |
| 12 | Liverpool U21 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 1 |
| 1 | Arsenal U21 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 9 |
| 2 | West Bromwich … | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 9 |
| 3 | Aston Villa U21 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +3 | 7 |
| 4 | Wolverhampton U21 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 6 |
| 5 | Swansea City U21 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 |
| 6 | Stoke City U21 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | +0 | 4 |
| 7 | Derby County U21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 3 |
| 8 | Fulham U21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 3 |
| 9 | Blackburn Rove… | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 1 |
| 10 | Newcastle Unit… | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 1 |
| 11 | Brighton & Hov… | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
| 12 | West Ham Unite… | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | -7 |
The 2015 Under-21 Premier League campaign will now take a break, with the next round of fixtures scheduled to take place in September. Here's a look at the upcoming schedule:
| September 11 | Newcastle | v | Arsenal |
| September 12 | Manchester City | v | Norwich |
| September 12 | Stoke | v | Fulham |
| September 12 | Wolves | v | West Brom |
| September 13 | Chelsea | v | Manchester United |
| September 13 | Liverpool | v | Middlesbrough |
Recap
Arsenal have started the season in strong form and put together their best performance yet against the Hammers, convincingly beating their London rivals 5-0.
West Ham came to play and showed plenty of attacking intent early, but the Gunners gladly took advantage of the open space and broke the deadlock through Kaylen Hinds after just 14 minutes.
After no West Ham defender made any effort to clear a blocked shot, the forward gladly took the gift and fired the ball past Sam Howes.
Just minutes later, Stephy Mavididi doubled his team's tally with a powerful header, as West Ham's defence started to crumble. Jeorge Bird, who blogs about the Gunners' youngsters, liked what he was seeing:
The hosts took their foot off the gas a bit and mustered just a handful of chances after their two-goal flurry, with Jeff Reine-Adelaide coming closest to scoring.
West Ham were determined to fight their way back into the match, but when Mavididi bagged his second goal of the night after more sloppy defending, the Hammers' resolve broke completely. Boston Gooners' B Larsen was glad to see the youngster find his scoring touch:
"Mavididi actually scoring this season? That's a good sign.
— B Larsen | Arsenal (@BLarsenAFC1886) August 28, 2015"
Hinds hit the post immediately after and Krystian Bielik fired an effort just wide of the post, as the home side started to press West Ham inside their own box.
Glen Kamara was the next to find the back of the net after some lovely buildup play from the Gunners, converting from close range. Marc Bola also tried his luck with a powerful drive, but Howes was there to save his side from further embarrassment.
Arsenal continued to be the better team, and Ben Sheaf made it 5-0 from the penalty spot just before the final whistle.
Norwich City and Chelsea shared the points in Friday's other fixture, and both teams now chase Group A leaders Reading by three points.
Conor McGrandles gave the Canaries a shocking lead, but the Blues struck right back. Charly Musonda's corner caused some confusion in the box, and Ola Aina managed to push it over the line.
The hosts would have the last laugh in the first half, however, with Tony Andreu heading home from close range to restore his team's 1-0 lead.
Musonda is one of the biggest stars in Chelsea's youth setup, and to no one's surprise, the young Belgian pulled his team level again after some nifty footwork inside the box. The equaliser led to some serious pressure from the Blues, as shared by their official Twitter account:
The second half was an entertaining affair with chances for both teams, but neither the Canaries nor the Blues were able to break the deadlock. The unexpected draw is a blow to Chelsea's title chances, although they won't have to worry too much, as favourites Manchester United and Liverpool have both started the season in dreadful form.
The Reds currently sit in last place in Group A, level on points with defending champions United.
