2016 Barclays Premier League 2: Sunday U23 Results, Updated Table and Schedule

Danny Ings scored for Liverpool’s under-23 team on Sunday, although it wasn't enough to prevent a 4-1 thumping at the hands of Southampton.

While the first team prepared for their tussle with Arsenal in the Premier League, the forward lined up for the second string. They fell behind after two early goals from Saints, and while Ings’ effort cut the deficit, Southampton were by far the superior side, adding two more goals in the second period.

Earlier on, Chelsea’s under-23 squad got their season underway against Sunderland, salvaging a 1-1 draw late on in an entertaining game.

Here is a look back at the two games, how things stand after Sunday’s two matches and the games to come on Monday in the Premier League 2.

Date	Time (BST)	Home	Away
Monday, August 15	7 p.m.	Aston Villa U23	Wolves U23
Monday, August 15	7 p.m.	Derby County U23	Manchester City U23
Monday, August 15	7 p.m.	Fulham U23	Blackburn U23
Monday, August 15	7 p.m.	Manchester United U23	Leicester City U23
Monday, August 15	7 p.m.	Middlesbrough U23	Brighton & Hove Albion U23
Monday, August 15	7 p.m.	Norwich City U23	Newcastle United U23
Monday, August 15	7 p.m.	Swansea City U23	West Brom U23
Monday, August 15	7 p.m.	Tottenham Hotspur U23	Everton U23

Division 1	Team	MP	W	D	L	F	A	D	P
Division 2	Team	MP	W	D	L	F	A	D	P
1	Southampton U23	1	1	0	0	4	1	+3	3
2	Reading U23	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2	3
3	Chelsea U23	1	0	1	0	1	1	+0	1
4	Sunderland U23	1	0	1	0	1	1	+0	1
5	Derby County U23	0	0	0	0	0	0	+0	0
6	Everton U23	0	0	0	0	0	0	+0	0
7	Leicester City U23	0	0	0	0	0	0	+0	0
8	Manchester City U23	0	0	0	0	0	0	+0	0
9	Manchester United U23	0	0	0	0	0	0	+0	0
10	Tottenham Hotspur U23	0	0	0	0	0	0	+0	0
11	Arsenal U23	1	0	0	1	0	2	-2	0
12	Liverpool U23	1	0	0	1	1	4	-3	0
1	West Ham United U23	1	1	0	0	3	0	+3	3
2	Aston Villa U23	0	0	0	0	0	0	+0	0
3	Blackburn Rovers U23	0	0	0	0	0	0	+0	0
4	Brighton U23	0	0	0	0	0	0	+0	0
5	Fulham U23	0	0	0	0	0	0	+0	0
6	Middlesbrough U23	0	0	0	0	0	0	+0	0
7	Newcastle United U23	0	0	0	0	0	0	+0	0
8	Norwich City U23	0	0	0	0	0	0	+0	0
9	Swansea City U23	0	0	0	0	0	0	+0	0
10	West Bromwich Albion U23	0	0	0	0	0	0	+0	0
11	Wolves U23	0	0	0	0	0	0	+0	0
12	Stoke City U23	1	0	0	1	0	3	-3	0

Chelsea Salvage Point, Saints Shine

In the first game of the day, a defensive error from each team meant Sunderland and Chelsea shared the spoils.

The first period of this one saw both teams fashion opportunities, although neither was able to edge in front.

Joel Asoro, a former Chelsea academy trialist, was the standout performer in the opening 45 minutes. The forward was causing the Blues plenty of problems with his dynamism up top, although he was unable to hit the target after carving out two decent opportunities for himself.

The flowing pattern to the match continued after the break, as both sides went in search of a winner. And it was Asoro who deservedly opened the scoring for the Black Cats, latching on to a loose pass and firing home.

James Hunter of the Chronicle was impressed with the performance he put in:

However, it wasn’t enough to see Sunderland pick up a win. With 70 minutes on the clock, Daniel Wright played a backpass to his goalkeeper, although it was too hard and too fast for him to stop; it comically trickled past Jordan Pickford in goal and into the net, gifting Chelsea a valuable point.

Kicking off later in the afternoon at Prenton Park, Southampton got off to a flying start on their visit to Liverpool.

Saints forward Josh Sims did brilliantly to capitalise on some static Liverpool defending to give his side the lead after 12 minutes, turning in a neat finish first time.

Things were to get even better for the visitors just three minutes later, as they continued to pile the pressure on the Reds. And what a goal it was, as Jake Hesketh composed himself and picked his spot with sumptuous curling effort, per the club's Twitter feed:

Liverpool were stunned and needed to recompose themselves in the contest. Eventually they did so and started to cause Southampton a few problems of their own.

And with a poacher like Ings in the team, it wasn’t long before one was taken. The former Burnley man latched on to a dinked ball over the top, finishing first time. Here’s a look at Ings’ finish:

It was a goal that gave Liverpool a boost heading into half-time, although their momentum was quickly sapped after the break. More poor Reds defending following a goalmouth scramble left Olufela Olomola free, and the Southampton man thumped home from close range.

Slumped shoulders and dropped heads followed for the players in red, although Southampton didn't ease off in their forward forays. Quite the opposite, in fact, as Olomola bagged a stunning fourth for his side:

Saints could have scored more in the final stages, although they will be delighted to have started their campaign in such convincing style.

For the Reds, usually so impressive at this level, this was a chastening start to the campaign. They were by far second best in this one, and while Southampton are revered for their work at academy level, Liverpool will need to show plenty more if they're to be competitive in this division.