Quad Kicks

England’s Premier knockout cup competition has reached its finale. After 7 rounds of 123 teams battling it out in the competition proper, the 139th FA Cup Final is upon us. The two London giants Arsenal and Chelsea will fight it out at the prestigious Wembley Stadium on the 1st of August 2020.  ROAD TO THE FINAL ARSENAL -  ROUND OPPONENT SCORE 3rd Round LEEDS UNITED 1-0 4th Round BOURNEMOUTH 2-1 5th Round PORTSMOUTH 2-0 Quarter-finals SHEFFIELD UNITED 2-1 Semifinals MANCHESTER CITY 2-0 CHELSEA -  ROUND OPPONENT SCORE 3rd Round NOTTINGHAM FOREST 2-0 4th Round HULL CITY 2-1 5th Round LIVERPOOL 2-0 Quarter-finals LEICESTER CITY 1-0 Semifinals MANCHESTER UNITED 3-1 STATISTICS Chelsea have won 3 of the last 5 meetings while Arsenal have defeated them once. The other match saw both the teams locked at 2-2. The last time these teams faced off in a Cup tie was the Europa League Final 2019 in Baku where Chelsea obliterated Arsenal 4-1. Much has changed for the Blues since then while Arsenal hav

Mohun Bagan Athletic Club, one of the oldest clubs in Asia in the space of a calendar year, transformed subpar performances and doubt into victory and jubilation. A script, so perfectly written, that they won the I-League title in the last match before the lockdown was imposed. I remember reading a newspaper article just before the first Calcutta Football League derby, about how rivals East Bengal were the much better side and the fact that Mohun Bagan could only pin their hopes on Spaniard Joseba Beitia if they had to get anything out of the game. In front of a full-house at the Salt Lake Stadium, the Mariners turned in a performance which gave confidence to the fans. They drew the match but created chances at will. This performance made the fans believe.  The managerial genius, that was Kibu Vicuna worked wonders with players like Joseba Beita, Fran Gonzalez, Fran Morante, Papa Diawara, Komron Tursonov and the Indian players.They created magic on the pitch. They stuck to possession b

That time of the year has finally arrived, when fans and pundits try to make a team of eleven players based on the performances of the season. Here is our attempt at making a Team Of The Year. Narrowing down to 11 players was a very tough job. So, there were some omissions, players who might have made headlines, but didn't get a place in our eleven. Mention your changes or your team in the comments. GOALKEEPER EDERSON MORAES (MANCHESTER CITY FC) Ederson won the Golden Glove award for the most number of clean sheets(16) this season for 2nd placed Manchester City. Behind a leaky defence, he did very well to keep the opponents from scoring. He is good with the ball at his feet as well, which makes him integral to Pep Guardiola's style of play. Nick Pope of Burnley also deserves a shout for the goalkeeper position. DEFENDERS Right Back TRENT ALEXANDER ARNOLD (LIVERPOOL FC) The scouser in Liverpool's ranks is one of the best right-backs on current form. He has been brilliant goi

After an unlikely final appearance in the UCL last year, not much was going Spurs’ way in the Premier League. Mauricio Pochettino’s tactics were questioned which prompted Spurs’ management to change gears and Mourinho was brought at the helm. With many highlights including Liverpool’s triumph, Bournemouth’s relegation, Spurs’ season surely cannot be ignored. Spurs’ finished the campaign at 6th place just ahead of Wolves, thanks to the better goal difference.They went into the game needing only to better Wolves’ result at Chelsea and they did so by drawing at Crystal Palace. This is in stark contrast to when Mourinho took charge in November. They were placed at 14th place managing a mere 3 wins from 12 games. Tables turned in no time and Mourinho only falls behind the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United in terms of points collected in his 25 game tenure re-emphasizing once again that he is ‘The Special One’. Spurs go into the next season brimming with confidence an

The 2019-20 Premier League season has finally ended. It was a roller-coaster ride. At one point it seemed that the season would have been deemed null and void, but Project Restart has been a success. Here are some key takeaways from the just concluded Premier League season(in no particular order) :- 1.      Liverpool Champions!            In the 2018-19 season, Liverpool amassed 97 points and still could not win the league. People thought that their motivation would not be there this season but Jurgen Klopp has prepared a winning machine, winning 32 matches. They have been very consistent throughout the season and have won the first Premier League title in the club’s rich history. 2.    2  .   Manchester United, Chelsea make top 4       At the beginning of the season, both teams were in disarray and had managers who were inexperienced at the highest level. Moreover, Chelsea had a transfer ban imposed on them. Both teams made the top 4 on the last matchday despite having a topsy-turvy