2017 Premier League 2: Friday's U23 Results, Scores, Latest Tables and Fixtures
Everton missed the chance to clinch the Premier League 2 title on Friday, as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Chelsea at EBB Stadium.
Ike Ugbo opened the scoring against the run of play for Chelsea with a deflected shot, although Bassala Sambou levelled for the visitors before the break. After half-time, Liam Walsh fired Everton ahead for the first time, but Ugbo was on hand to grab his second just a couple of minutes later.
The draw leaves Everton six points ahead of second-placed Manchester City having played a game more; their final match of the campaign is against rivals Liverpool.
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Elsewhere on the night, Newcastle United won 2-0 at Middlesbrough, while Derby nicked a crucial 1-0 win on the road at Southampton in a vital match in the race to avoid relegation.
Here are the results in full from Friday's action, the Premier League 2 table and a look back at an absorbing night featuring some of the brightest young players in the country.
| Chelsea U23 | 2-2 | Everton U23 |
| Southampton U23 | 0-1 | Derby County U23 |
| Middlesbrough U23 | 0-1 | Newcastle United U23 |
| 1 | Everton U23 | 21 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 47 | 19 | +28 | 48 |
| 2 | Manchester City U23 | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 48 | 28 | +20 | 42 |
| 3 | Liverpool U23 | 20 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 42 | 24 | +18 | 37 |
| 4 | Arsenal U23 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 37 | 28 | +9 | 32 |
| 5 | Chelsea U23 | 21 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 39 | 30 | +9 | 30 |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur U23 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 30 | 37 | -7 | 22 |
| 7 | Manchester United U23 | 20 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 24 | 34 | -10 | 22 |
| 8 | Sunderland U23 | 20 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 23 | 33 | -10 | 22 |
| 9 | Southampton U23 | 21 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 26 | 36 | -10 | 21 |
| 10 | Derby County U23 | 21 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 29 | 41 | -12 | 21 |
| 11 | Leicester City U23 | 20 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 25 | 39 | -14 | 19 |
| 12 | Reading U23 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 31 | 52 | -21 | 18 |
| 1 | Swansea City U23 | 21 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 39 | 21 | +18 | 49 |
| 2 | Wolves U23 | 21 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 38 | 29 | +9 | 38 |
| 3 | Newcastle United U23 | 22 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 34 | 30 | +4 | 37 |
| 4 | Fulham U23 | 21 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 38 | 29 | +9 | 33 |
| 5 | Blackburn Rovers U23 | 21 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 24 | 28 | -4 | 31 |
| 6 | West Ham United U23 | 21 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 28 | 26 | +2 | 30 |
| 7 | Aston Villa U23 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 34 | 32 | +2 | 29 |
| 8 | Brighton U23 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 22 | -2 | 27 |
| 9 | West Bromwich U23 | 21 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 25 | 29 | -4 | 22 |
| 10 | Middlesbrough U23 | 22 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 25 | 34 | -9 | 21 |
| 11 | Stoke City U23 | 21 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 24 | 32 | -8 | 20 |
| 12 | Norwich City U23 | 21 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 18 | 35 | -17 | 16 |
Friday Recap
As relayed by the Everton Twitter account, both teams paid tribute to Tottenham Hotspur under-23 manager Ugo Ehiogu before the game; the 44-year-old died on Friday having suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday, per BBC Sport:
Knowing they would have secured the title with three points, it was no surprise to see Everton fly out of the traps, pin their opponents back and conjure a number of decent openings.
But it was Chelsea who struck first, rather against the pattern of the game. Mason Mount burst forward and fed Ugbo, and his strike crashed into a Toffees defender and over a hapless Mateusz Hewelt in goal.
The visitors kept composed, though, and continued to carve out opportunities. A couple fell to Sambou, which were spurned, but the young striker did eventually get on the scoresheet, as he pounced on a spilled shot in the area.
Per football journalist Patrick Boyland, Harry Charsley did well to fashion the chance:
It was enough to give Everton parity at half-time, and although Chelsea did improve as the first period went on, David Unsworth's league leaders would have been disappointed not to have been ahead.
They didn't need to wait too long to get in front after the interval. After more early pressure, the Toffees found their way in front, as Walsh swept home Jonjoe Kenny's cross with the help of a deflection.
The strike would have potentially been enough to win the Merseyside club the league, although Chelsea and Ugbo caught the visitors sleeping again, as the forward curled home a brilliant left-footed shot.
As noted by the Chelsea Youth Twitter account, he's enjoying a prolific term:
The goal shocked Everton, and the home side enjoyed some time on the front foot of their own after making it 2-2. However, as the minutes ticked by, it was the Toffees who showed the more ambition.
Sambou was again involved in the visitors' best moments, although he was kept out a couple of times by Mitchell Beeney in the Chelsea goal. Kenny then struck the woodwork inadvertently, overhitting his cross from the right flank.
As they searched for the winner, the Toffee TV Twitter account was purring over some of the performances from the young Everton players:
In the dying embers of the match, the away side piled on the pressure, although Beeney was on hand to keep them out. Kenny missed an outstanding chance to win it with a close-range header at the death, but his effort was expertly tipped over.
Everton will have their eye on Manchester City's visit to Liverpool on Monday. Should City fail to pick up three points, the title will be on its way to Merseyside.
