The 10 men of Reading held Southampton to a 1-1 draw on Monday evening as the only Division 1 fixture as the Barclays Under-21 Premier League saw the south-coast hosts concede late and fail to pick up all three points.
Arsenal's under-21s missed their chance to close the gap on Division 2 leaders Derby County after their clash with Blackburn Rovers was postponed, but they were pleased to hear the Rams dropped points at home.
The Seagulls travelled to Derby without a win in their 10 previous outings, and the Gunners will be overjoyed with their timing, as they held the Rams to a 2-2 draw, while Aston Villa moved up to second.