England U21s strengthen position with Switzerland draw

England Under-21s consolidated their position at the summit of Group 9 after a confident performance in Switzerland – marred only by a breakaway equaliser.

Chuba Akpom scored for the Young Lions, who remain three points clear of the Swiss and Norway, with three games remaining.

But they might have hoped for more return after a fine performance under the shadow of the snow-capped Alps, with Leicester City’s Demarai Gray in scintillating form.

And any sense of frustration was compounded when substitute Jordon Ibe was dismissed for a second bookable offence deep into added time.

Despite losing several players to injury, Southgate selected eight of the 11 who beat Switzerland 3-1 in Brighton last November, with No9 Akpom having come off the bench to score in that tempestuous encounter.

The opening exchanges were far more serene on the artificial surface at Stockhorn Arena, with England looking in control and passing crisply.

Full-backs Dominic Iorfa and Matt Targett were making headway down either flank, with Targett teeing up the first chance of the night for John Swift.

Swift had timed his well to the near post but his sidefooted finish from close range was well-blocked.

Iorfa then set up Gray for a chance on his first start, as the Leicester winger drifted in off the right wing and drilled just wide of scrambling Swiss keeper Yvon Mvogo.

Gray then skipped wide of his marker to dig out a deep cross and Ruben Loftus-Cheek flashed a header wide of goal.

The Young Lions had to face a setback on 27 minutes when Swift had to come off, with Ibe taking station on the left flank.

And then Jordan Pickford’s reflexes were given a severe test when Denis Zakaria sent a fierce drive towards goal and the Sunderland stopper managed to push the ball on to his crossbar.

Scorer Chuba Akpom and Dominic Iorfa celebrate England's goal in Thun

Gray continued to threaten though, and wowed the crowd with two smart turns, the second of which spun him clear into the box and Mvogo had to be strong to repel his near-post shot.

The break proved a real tonic for England, and they broke through immediately after the break, when Gray again tormented left-back and sent a firm low cross in the path of Akpom, who side-footed home to make it two-in-two against this opposition.

Soon after, Gray then popped up on the left before cutting in and then drilling a shot just wide of the far post.

Ibe was making good headway off the left wing too, although the crowd thought England had doubled their lead on 69 minutes when James Ward-Prowse stepped  up for a free-kick.

The Southampton midfielder’s shot swerved over the wall and dipped before clattering the frame of the goal and bouncing to safety.

That Switzerland should equalise seemed an injustice – especially after Akpom had just had an effort cleared off the line.

But Leonardo Bertone launched a counter-attack and Florian Kamberi shimmied before firing low past Pickford.

Three Lions skipper James Ward-Prowse in combative action

Gray twisted and turned to set up a late chance for substitute Matt Grimes to score the winner, but the Blackburn loanee’s shot drifted wide and Southgate’s side were forced to settle for a credible draw away from home.

Switzerland (4-1-2-3): 1 Yvon Mvogo; 2 Florent Hadergjonaj, 4 Nico Elvedi, 5 Levent Gulen, 3 Martin Angha; 10 Musa Araz; 6 Leonardo Bertone, 8 Denis Zakaria; 11 Florian Kamberi, 9 Haris Tabakovic, 7 Edimilson Fernandes.

Substitutes: 18 Michael Frey on for Zakaria 66, 17 Salim Khelifi on for Tabakovic 66. 

Subs not used: 12 Mirko Salvi, 13 Roy Gelmi, 14 Ulisses Garcia, 15 Anto Grgic, 16 Francisco Rodriguez.

Head coach: Heinz Moser.

Goals: Kamberi 75.

England (4-2-3-1):  1 Jordan Pickford (Sunderland); 2 Dominic Iorfa (Wolverhampton Wanderers), 5 Calum Chambers (Arsenal), 6 Kortney Hause (Wolverhampton Wanderers), 3 Matt Targett (Southampton); 4 Lewis Baker (Vitesse on loan from Chelsea), 8 James Ward-Prowse (captain; Southampton); 11 Demarai Gray (Leicester City), 10 Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea), 7 John Swift (Chelsea on loan at Brentford); 9 Chuba Akpom (Hull City on loan from Arsenal).

Substitutes: 16 Jordon Ibe (Liverpool) for Swift 27, 15 Matthew Grimes (Blackburn on loan from Swansea) for Loftus-Cheek 69, 17 Dominic Solanke (Vitesse on loan from Chelsea) for Akpom 86.

Subs not used: 13 Joe Wildsmith (Sheffield Wednesday), 12 Ben Chilwell (Leicester City), 14 Jack Stephens (Southampton), 16 Jordon Ibe (Liverpool), 18 James Wilson (Brighton on loan from Manchester United).

Goals: Akpom 47.

Head coach: Gareth Southgate.