Barclays U21 Premier League 2016: Monday Results, Latest Table, Updated Schedule
Arsenal's bid to return to Group 1 of the Barclays Under-21 Premier League took a hit on Monday, as the Gunners slumped to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Aston Villa.
The loss leaves the Gunners five points behind Group 2 leaders Derby County, albeit with three matches in hand.
Elsewhere, Reading beat Everton 2-0, and Wolves and Swansea shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw. Here's a look at Monday's full results:
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| Blackburn U21 | 0-2 | Fulham U21 |
| Middlesbrough U21 | 1-3 | Southampton U21 |
| Aston Villa U21 | 1-0 | Arsenal U21 |
| Everton U21 | 0-2 | Reading U21 |
| Wolves U21 | 1-1 | Swansea U21 |
The current U21 Premier League standings:
| 1. | Sunderland U21 | 19 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 34:15 | 39 |
| 2. | Manchester United U21 | 17 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 37:14 | 38 |
| 3. | Manchester City U21 | 17 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 29:21 | 28 |
| 4. | Reading U21 | 20 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 30:33 | 26 |
| 5. | Chelsea U21 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 29:22 | 25 |
| 6. | Everton U21 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 25:23 | 23 |
| 7. | Liverpool U21 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 22:29 | 22 |
| 8. | Tottenham U21 | 18 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 35:37 | 21 |
| 9. | Southampton U21 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 27:35 | 20 |
| 10. | Leicester U21 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 21:39 | 18 |
| 11. | Norwich U21 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 21:39 | 15 |
| 12. | Middlesbrough U21 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 25:28 | 13 |
| 1. | Derby U21 | 20 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 42:24 | 39 |
| 2. | Aston Villa U21 | 19 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 23:22 | 35 |
| 3. | Arsenal U21 | 17 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 33:17 | 34 |
| 4. | West Ham U21 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 34:31 | 29 |
| 5. | Stoke City U21 | 19 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 22:21 | 29 |
| 6. | West Brom U21 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 20:17 | 27 |
| 7. | Fulham U21 | 19 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 23:25 | 26 |
| 8. | Swansea U21 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24:19 | 24 |
| 9. | Blackburn U21 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 21:24 | 21 |
| 10. | Newcastle Utd U21 | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 24:35 | 17 |
| 11. | Wolves U21 | 20 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 19:30 | 13 |
| 12. | Brighton U21 | 18 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 12:32 | 10 |
The schedule for the coming days:
| Thursday, March 17 | Everton U21 | Middlesbrough U21 |
| Friday, March 18 | Swansea U21 | Blackburn U21 |
| Saturday, March 19 | Stoke City U21 | Brighton U21 |
| Sunday, March 20 | Liverpool U21 | Southampton U21 |
| Sunday, March 20 | Chelsea U21 | Manchester United U21 |
Recap
Arsenal's Group 2 title bid took a hit against Villa, who needed just a single goal to beat Arsenal and pass them in the Premier League Under-21 standings in the process.
The Gunners looked solid during the first half and had the better chances, led by Serge Gnabry, who looked excellent in his appearance for the youth side. Per the club's official Twitter account, the Frenchman created a number of chances and came close to scoring once:
But scoring has been an issue for the Gunners' youngsters the last few weeks, and Monday's match proved no different. Aston Villa grew more confident as the first half wore on, and they even had a handful of solid chances to take the lead.
Rory Hale in particular looked dangerous for the hosts, and he continued to put pressure on the Arsenal defence after the break. But it was Jerell Sellars who opened the score after 62 minutes, to the delight of the club's official Twitter account:
The Villans shut things down defensively after the goal, and Arsenal struggled to create danger, although they did well to keep possession. Choosing a patient approach, the attack mainly ran through Gnabry and Dan Crowley, but Villa had little difficulty dealing with their passing.
Late pressure amounted to nothing, as Villa comfortably held on to their lead. The win sees them rise up to second place in the Group 2 standings, but they have played two more matches than Arsenal.
The Gunners still have the advantage in the title race thanks to several matches in hand, but their form of late hasn't been great, and a swift turnaround is needed to ensure promotion back to Group 1.
Meanwhile, Reading moved back into fourth place in Group 1 with a 2-0 win over an unlucky Everton side.
Harry Cardwell opened the score after just five minutes, which set the tone for a one-sided match in which the Toffees mustered plenty of good chances but failed to convert. Kieran Dowell hit the post with a powerful drive, but just as it looked like an equaliser was imminent, Joseph Barrett doubled the visitors' lead.
Everton's official Twitter account couldn't believe it:
Elsewhere, Bradders Mason gave Wolves the lead after 32 minutes with a powerful header, but once again, the hosts failed to defend their lead. Owain Jones gave Swans a deserved equaliser in the second half, and the visitors came closest to grabbing the win but just couldn't convert their chances.
Earlier in the day, Fulham grabbed a much-needed win over Blackburn Rovers, and Middlesbrough's nightmare season continued with a 3-1 loss against Southampton.
