Barclays U21 Premier League 2016: Monday Results, Updated Table and Schedule
Arsenal wasted the opportunity to win the Under-21 Premier League Group 2 title on Monday, losing a must-win clash with West Bromwich Albion 2-1.
Jack Wilshere scored the Gunners' only goal of the match, but despite persistent possession and a string of chances, Arsenal couldn't find a late equaliser. As a result, Derby County win the Group 2 title and will qualify for next year's Group 1 competition directly, while the Gunners will enter the Group 2 play-offs.
Elsewhere, Everton beat Manchester City 1-0, and Swansea City cruised to a 3-0 win over Fulham.
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Here’s a look at Monday’s results:
| Swansea | 3-0 | Fulham |
| Arsenal | 1-2 | West Brom |
| Blackburn | 2-2 | Aston Villa |
| Everton | 1-0 | Manchester City |
| Southampton | 3-2 | Norwich |
The current U21 Premier League standings:
| Sunderland U21 | 22 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 38 | 20 | 43 |
| Manchester United U21 | 19 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 39 | 15 | 42 |
| Everton U21 | 20 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 32 | 26 | 33 |
| Manchester City U21 | 20 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 33 | 25 | 31 |
| Tottenham U21 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 42 | 40 | 27 |
| Southampton U21 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 37 | 39 | 27 |
| Reading U21 | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 34 | 40 | 27 |
| Chelsea U21 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 30 | 25 | 26 |
| Liverpool U21 | 20 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 24 | 34 | 25 |
| Middlesbrough U21 | 21 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 32 | 34 | 20 |
| Norwich U21 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 29 | 48 | 19 |
| Leicester U21 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 21 | 45 | 18 |
| Derby U21 | 22 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 44 | 26 | 42 |
| Arsenal U21 | 22 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 40 | 25 | 40 |
| Swansea U21 | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 42 | 24 | 39 |
| Aston Villa U21 | 22 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 28 | 27 | 39 |
| Blackburn U21 | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 29 | 33 | 34 |
| West Brom U21 | 22 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 24 | 20 | 33 |
| West Ham U21 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 37 | 34 | 32 |
| Stoke City U21 | 22 | 10 | 2 | 10 | 24 | 24 | 32 |
| Fulham U21 | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 26 | 29 | 29 |
| Newcastle Utd U21 | 22 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 30 | 48 | 18 |
| Brighton U21 | 22 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 17 | 36 | 14 |
| Wolves U21 | 22 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 35 | 13 |
The schedule for the upcoming U21 Premier League fixtures:
| April 19 | Tottenham | vs. | Manchester United |
| April 25 | Everton | vs. | Leicester |
| April 25 | Southampton | vs. | Manchester United |
| April 25 | Liverpool | vs. | Norwich |
| April 25 | Middlesbrough | vs. | Chelsea |
Recap
Arsenal fielded a strong starting XI including the likes of Wilshere and Serge Gnabry for this vital clash, knowing a win would guarantee the Gunners the Group 2 title.
West Brom had no intentions of taking things easy on the Gunners, however. As explained by the club’s official Twitter account, the Baggies were fighting for a spot in the play-offs:
It took the visitors just seven minutes to take the lead through Joe Ward, who pounced on a loose ball after Gunners goalkeeper Matt Macey made the initial save.
Jeff Reine-Adelaide tried to respond but dragged his shot wide, while Gnabry also wasted an opportunity from a promising position. Arsenal dominated possession and found plenty of space to work with, but the end product was lacking.
Meanwhile, Khalid Abdo had given Aston Villa the lead against Blackburn to the delight of the Baggies:
Gnabry came within inches of scoring after some strong work from Reine-Adelaide, and Wilshere failed to find the target with a free-kick from a dangerous position. Arsenal continued to push for an equaliser, and Dan Crowley came close with a low drive. But at half-time, the score was still 1-0.
Over in Blackburn, the hosts had scored twice to take the lead against Villa, per West Brom’s official Twitter account:
West Brom came close to doubling their lead early in the second half, as the Gunners weren’t paying attention. Andre Wright nearly took advantage during a quick free-kick, but instead, the goal fell on the other side of the pitch.
It was Wilshere who gave the side hope in their Group 2 title quest, bringing the ball down inside the box before producing a smart finish. Fans were more than a little happy:
Arsenal’s Twitter account shared this shot of the scorer:
The goal revitalised Arsenal, who started looking for a winner and twice came close through Ben Sheaf. His second effort in particular only missed the goal by inches, and at this point, the Gunners deserved to take the lead.
Instead, Adil Nabi shocked the home fans by scoring a goal that was almost an exact copy of Ward's opener, as he reacted quickest after Macey blocked a shot.
The result means Derby win the Group 2 title, while Arsenal limp into the play-offs. The Gunners had two opportunities to win the title and wasted both, losing to West Brom and Swansea, and with no momentum on their side whatsoever, the play-offs could prove a serious challenge.
Villa only managed a 2-2 draw against Blackburn, meaning West Brom won't be a part of said play-offs.
Elsewhere, Everton beat Manchester City 1-0 thanks to a goal from Kieran Dowell, while Swansea beat Fulham 3-0. The Welsh side will be Arsenal's biggest challengers for the final Group 1 ticket, and unlike the Gunners, Swansea are finding their best form at the right time.
