Barclays U21 Premier League 2015: Monday Scores, Latest Table and Schedule
Manchester United continued their scorching-hot form in the Barclays Under-21 Premier League on Monday, beating Reading 3-1 to move up to second place in the standings.
Will Keane scored a hat-trick to guide the Red Devils to the win, and while Sunderland still hold the lead in the Group 1 standings, United have four matches in hand and seem ready to run away with the title.
Arsenal suffered a setback in Group 2 as they could only manage a 1-1 draw against West Bromwich Albion, and Liverpool beat Southampton 2-1. Meanwhile, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur put together an absolute show, with the Blues winning 5-4 after a crazy final 15 minutes.
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Here's a look at Monday's results, as well as the schedule for the coming days:
| Monday, Jan. 11 | Aston Villa U21 | 0-0 | Newcastle United U21 |
| Monday, Jan. 11 | Derby U21 | 3 - 1 | Stoke City U21 |
| Monday, Jan. 11 | Manchester City U21 | 0 - 1 | Everton U21 |
| Monday, Jan. 11 | Reading U21 | 1 - 3 | Manchester United U21 |
| Monday, Jan. 11 | Southampton U21 | 1 - 2 | Liverpool U21 |
| Monday, Jan. 11 | West Brom U21 | 1 - 1 | Arsenal U21 |
| Monday, Jan. 11 | Tottenham U21 | 4-5 | Chelsea U21 |
| Monday, Jan. 18 | Derby U21 | TBD | Blackburn Rovers U21 |
| Monday, Jan. 18 | Manchester United U21 | TBD | Southampton U21 |
| Monday, Jan. 18 | Tottenham U21 | TBD | Manchester City U21 |
The current Under-21 Premier League standings:
| Sunderland U21 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 25:8 | 28 |
| Manchester United U21 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 20:9 | 19 |
| Tottenham U21 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 30:29 | 18 |
| Reading U21 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 23:22 | 18 |
| Everton U21 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 18:17 | 17 |
| Manchester City U21 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 17:14 | 14 |
| Chelsea U21 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 19:20 | 14 |
| Southampton U21 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 20:23 | 14 |
| Middlesbrough U21 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 17:14 | 12 |
| Norwich U21 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 18:24 | 12 |
| Liverpool U21 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 12:20 | 9 |
| Leicester U21 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 15:34 | 8 |
| Derby U21 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 28:17 | 25 |
| Arsenal U21 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 22:13 | 23 |
| West Brom U21 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 15:7 | 23 |
| Aston Villa U21 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 15:18 | 22 |
| West Ham U21 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 23:24 | 20 |
| Stoke City U21 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 15:15 | 19 |
| Blackburn U21 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 18:17 | 17 |
| Fulham U21 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 14:15 | 17 |
| Swansea U21 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 18:12 | 16 |
| Newcastle Utd U21 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 17:21 | 14 |
| Wolves U21 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 13:22 | 8 |
| Brighton U21 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 8:25 | 6 |
Recap
United started the match at a slow pace and failed to produce much during the first 25 minutes of their match against Reading. That was until coach Warren Joyce intervened, shouting at a couple of players from the sidelines.
The telling-off had the desired affect, as Keane would find the net twice before half-time. First, he converted from the penalty spot after he was fouled by a Reading defender, and he followed it up by deflecting a shot from Matthew Willock into the goal.
Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News couldn't help himself:
James Weir came close to making it 3-0 before half-time, but he failed in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper.
After the break, the Red Devils continued to control the ball, and once again, Keane found the net, converting a second penalty for his hat-trick. The 23-year-old looked a little rusty against Tottenham Hotspur, but he seems to be finding his best form at the right time, as his movement was excellent against Reading.
Manchester Evening News' Alice McKeegan believes he's done enough to warrant some chances on a bigger stage:
"Thought Keane was a real prospect before his injury. Pleased to see he's got a hat-trick. Deserves place in squad until end of season #mufc
— Alice McKeegan (@amckeeganMEN) January 11, 2016"
Tarique Fosu added a late goal for Reading, but by then, the three points were already safe for United.
The win pushes United into second place in Group 1, and while Sunderland still lead the standings by some distance, the Red Devils have four matches in hand. Given their incredible form, United have to be considered favourites to win the title.
Arsenal dropped off the top spot in the Group 2 standings following their 1-1 draw against West Brom, as Derby County beat Stoke City 3-1.
Tyler Roberts opened the score for the Baggies in the first half after a perfectly executed free-kick routine with Adil Nabi, giving goalkeeper Ryan Huddert no chance.
The Gunners controlled the ball well and had a handful of chances in the first half, but the side has struggled to convert in front of goal all season long, and Monday's fixture highlighted the problem.
Arsenal's luck even failed them from the penalty spot, as Dan Crowley saw his effort blocked by Jack Rose, much to the delight of WBA's official Twitter account:
The Baggies finally conceded a goal after 66 minutes, as winger Chris Willock used his pace before slotting home, but Arsenal's late push didn't result in a winner, allowing Derby to grab the solo lead in Group 2.
Ryan Kent scored the winner in Liverpool's triumph over Southampton, and London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham played out one of the best matches you'll see all season, a 5-4 win for the Blues that saw four goals in the final 10 minutes, including two from Andros Townsend.
The forward played his best match in a long time and brought Spurs back from a two-goal deficit with a brace, scoring both goals in the span of three minutes. Unfortunately, it wasn't good enough, as Jake Clarke-Salter found a late winner deep in injury time.
