2016 Barclays Premier League 2: Sunday U23 Results, Updated Rankings, Schedule
Manchester United and Chelsea played out a 1-1 draw in their Premier League 2 tussle on Sunday.
The Blues netted on the brink of half-time through Kyle Scott, who swept the ball home from close range after a goalkeeping error. United improved after the break and eventually levelled things up after an own goal from Chelsea's Joseph Colley.
In the day’s other game, Sunderland were comfortable winners against a previously unbeaten Southampton side, turning in a fine performance to win 3-0.
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Here is a look at how the standings shape up following these two contests and a closer examination of how things panned out on Sunday.
| 1 | Everton U23 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 9 |
| 2 | Sunderland U23 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 7 |
| 3 | Southampton U23 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 |
| 4 | Tottenham U23 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 |
| 5 | Manchester City U23 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 6 |
| 6 | Reading U23 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 | +0 | 6 |
| 7 | Chelsea U23 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 5 |
| 8 | Manchester United U23 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| 9 | Liverpool U23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 3 |
| 10 | Derby County U23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 0 |
| 11 | Leicester City U23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 0 |
| 12 | Arsenal U23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 0 |
| 1 | Swansea City U23 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 9 |
| 2 | West Ham U23 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 |
| 3 | Wolves U23 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 6 |
| 4 | Brighton U23 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 5 |
| 5 | Middlesbrough U23 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 5 |
| 6 | Blackburn Rovers U23 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 4 |
| 7 | Newcastle United U23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 3 |
| 8 | Fulham U23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| 9 | West Brom U23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 3 |
| 10 | Stoke City U23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 3 |
| 11 | Aston Villa U23 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| 12 | Norwich City U23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 0 |
| August 29 | 4 p.m. | Aston Villa U23 | Newcastle Utd U23 |
| September 9 | 8 p.m. | Derby U23 | Arsenal U23 |
| September 9 | 8 p.m. | Manchester City U23 | Manchester United U23 |
| September 9 | 8 p.m. | West Ham U23 | Wolves U23 |
| September 9 | 8:05 p.m. | Chelsea U23 | Tottenham U23 |
Sunday Recap
The glamour game of the day saw two of last season’s standout teams going head-to-head, with Manchester United hosting Chelsea.
Neither side were able to find their attacking groove in the opening stages of this one, although the Blues did look the brighter with Dominic Solanke threatening up top and Jay Dasilva finding space in midfield. The Chelsea Youth Twitter feed praised the versatility of the latter:
Dasilva was involved in the opening goal, as Chelsea sneaked in front just before the interval. His cross was flapped at by United goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, with the ball falling to Scott, who made no mistake prodding home.
It was a goal the Blues deserved, with United failing to find a rhythm. The Red Devils did emerge with more intent in the second period, though, with James Weir and Demetri Mitchell starting to link up in the final third.
Eventually, United needed a hand from a Chelsea player to get back on level terms. Regan Poole's delivery was a devilish one, and Colley could only turn it into his own goal five minutes from time. Both sides pushed for a winner late on, although eventually they shared the spoils.
Sunderland got off to an excellent start in their clash with Southampton, as Josh Maja capitalised on an error after a couple of minutes to fire his side in front.
Here’s a look at the goal, which Maja did well to finish, courtesy of the Saints' Twitter feed:
It was a mistake that seemed to knock the stuffing out of the Southampton tyros, as the young Black Cats got a grip of the game. Josh Robson was in excellent form throughout the first period, and it was no surprise he was vital to the home side doubling their advantage.
Indeed, he whipped in a teasing ball in the 40th minute, and as we can see, Maja was there once again to apply the finishing touches:
Southampton had a mountain to climb in the second half. While they improved a little early on, Sunderland were happy to sit in and pick their moments. George Honeyman seized his chance when it arrived.
The midfielder was alive as the ball dropped to him in the penalty area, and he thrashed home from 12 yards after more poor Saints defending. From there, the Black Cats saw out the game comfortably.
