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 3 Talking Points as City Send Arsenal To The Bottom -Mihir Mehta -Editor: Mitansh Kagalwala Photo Via: Times Of India Manchester absolutely tore through Arsenal on Saturday in poetic fashion on the tenth anniversary of Arsenal’s 2-8 loss to arch rivals Manchester United. Arsenal’s woeful start to the season continued, with the team seemingly considering defending as optional. Terrible positioning led to the first two goals, followed by a Xhaka red card finished the game in the first half hour. In this article, we take a look at the talking points from the game that saw City net their second five-goal tally of the season, and Arsenal finish the gameweek in 20th place:  1. NO STRIKER? NO PROBLEM: The summer transfer window has been an odd one for City, who are used to getting the players they want. The pursuits of both no.9’s, Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo, fell through, leaving City with no real recognized striker after Sergio Aguero’s departure. Even Gabriel Jesus plays m...

 Player Ratings From Chelsea's 1-1 Draw With Liverpool -Vivaan Jain -Edited By: Mitansh Kagalwala Photo via: thisisanfield.com Player Ratings: Edouard Mendy (8/10) - Apart from a few casual passes and faulty distribution of the ball which led to a loss in possession, Mendy continued his excellent 2020/21 form with a brilliant performance. Though Chelsea’s excellent defence left him with little to do, his judgement, composure and catching was without par as he kept Liverpool at bay. He was one of the key reasons that we were able to grab a point from this clash. Cezar Azpilicueta (8/10) - Our captain displayed a fine performance during the match and was able to read the game very well. He provided defensive stability by making key interceptions, tackles and clearance outside the penalty box and neutralise the threat posed by the Andy Robertson’s pace and crossing ability. Though his crossing of the ball for our forward line could’ve been better, he helped in progressing forward ...

  CHELSEA VS. LIVERPOOL: A BATTLE OF THE CHALLENGERS - Parth Pabaru -Edited By: Mitansh Kagalwala Photo via: insidesport.co Anfield is ready to roar again, with Chelsea visiting Liverpool in gameweek 3 of the Premier League. In this preview, we take a look at the main talking points of the Chelsea-Liverpool game: 1.       1.  Romelu Lukaku vs Virgil Van Dijk: The key battle of the game will be one between the two giants of      each team. Van Dijk has just returned from a year long injury, and looks back to his best, while                 Lukaku bullied the Arsenal defence into the ground in his first game back from Inter, and the winner      of this Duel of the Giants will likely decide the match. 2.       2.  100% Win Streak: Both teams go into the match having started the season as challengers for the title,      and having won both their previous gam...

THE DIFFERENT WAYS PSG'S INCREDIBLE SQUAD COULD LINE UP - Drish Shah -Editor: Mitansh Kagalwala Photo via ussoccerplayers Paris Saint Germain has had one of their best, and arguably THE best, transfer windows in the summer of 2021, boosting their already strong squad with added firepower in the form of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi , Gianluigi Donnarumma and Georgino Wijnaldum, all for 60 million euros. On paper, they look undefeatable. Their attacking trio is fearsome, with Mbappe, Neymar and Messi all taking to the pitch side by side. Many of PSG’s previous star players, like Di Maria, Kimpembe, Draxler and Navas will be pushed to the bench to make space for PSG’s new signings. With so many star players however, comes the need to manage the dressing room and deal with the pressure. Further, PSG’s firepower seems to be heavily tilted towards the attack, and Pocchettino will have to find a way to balance the side if the Parisiens want to avoid a fate similar to Real...

  OUTCAST SPANIARD STARS IN CHELSEA'S SUPER CUP WIN PLAYER RATINGS FROM CHELSEA VS. VILLAREAL -Vivaan Jain Editor: Mitansh Kagalwala Chelsea started their 2021/22 season with a bang, winning the UEFA Super Cup against the Europa League champions Villareal. The Champions League winners were by far the superior side in the first half and were rewarded by a goal in the 27 th minute. A first half-goal scored for Hakim Ziyech was just reward for the brilliant form he’s shown in pre-season, netting Kai Havertz’ low cross in the 27 th minute. Villareal hit the frame of the goal twice before finally breaking Chelsea’s defensive line following brilliant link-up play between Moreno and Dias, who latched onto Moreno’s backheel pass to score for the Yellow Submarine. The game ended 1-1 after a goalless extra time, and Chelsea triumphed on penalties 6-5. The game was decided in the 118 th minute, when Chelsea outcast Kepa was brought on for starter Mendy, a calculated move based on previous ...

  TALKING POINTS FROM BARCA 4-2 SOCIEDAD - Mitansh Kagalwala Photo via fcbarcelonanoticias FOUR TALKING POINTS FROM BARCA'S PROMISING WIN AGAINST REAL SOCIEDAD: 1.       1.  THE MESSI MINUTE: The way Lionel Messi’s exit unfolded was unexpected, extremely quick,        and heartbreaking. The Barca faithful didn’t get to say goodbye, and Leo Messi didn’t get his                standing ovation from the Camp Nou like Iniesta and Xavi did. He will most likely get a statue               outside the stadium, but that will take time, considering Barca had to dive for couch-change to                  register their free agent signings. In a time like this, Barca fans decided to honor the legendary                  Argentine in their own, singing Messi’s name in the ten...

 THE MESSI SITUATION: EXPLAINED    ̴Mitansh Kagalwala credit: OneFootball On August 5 th , FC Barcelona shocked the world by dropping the news that Leo Messi would be leaving the club after 18 years. Despite contract talks being positive just a few hours ago, and the club and the player himself agreeing to contract details, Barcelona could not resign Lionel Messi due to structural and financial problems. FC Barcelona’s financial problems have been well documented in the previous year. The incompetence of the previous board coupled with the Coronavirus Pandemic hastened the financial breakdown of the club. One of the biggest problems in regards to the financial structure of the club is the club’s massive wage bill. Club President Joan Laporta recently said that even without Leo Messi’s wage, player salaries would account for 95% of the club’s income, which should ideally not be above 70%. Barcelona’s huge wages have been the main driver of the club’s financial downfall...

                                            Chelsea Season 20/21: A Tale of Two Managers credit: sundayworld.com    ̴Vivaan Jain Edited By: Mitansh Kagalwala Chelsea’s 2020-21 season was a rollercoaster, with many ups and downs. Following Frank Lampard’s top 4 finish in the 2019-20 season, it was common opinion that he over-achieved with the squad he had during the 2019 season due to the transfer ban. Consequently, the board backed him and spent a prodigious sum of $220 million on signing new players, at a time when signings were at a premium. His squad was bolstered with the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Thiago Silva, Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, Edouard Mendy, Ben Chilwell and Malang Sarr (though he went back out on loan). These signings accompanied by players like Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount achieving high form was thought to have made Chelsea a title contender for the ...

  Manchester City Season 20/21: Fallen At The Final Hurdle credit: Sky Sports       ̴Mihir Mehta ̴ Edited By: Mitansh Kagalwala Just like any season, Manchester City's 20/21 season had several bad's, and a host of good's. They won the Premier League title in (mostly) convincing fashion, Phil Foden was near-perfect, they trashed former finalists PSG 4-1, won the Carabao Cup AGAIN. But then they lost in the Champions League final, and all their previous success in the season was forgotten. They fell at the final hurdle, and Sheikh Mansour and his billions must wait another season for ultimate European Glory.  THE GOOD During the 20-21 season, Manchester City showed yet again why they are considered to be one of the best teams in Europe. In a season ravaged by coronavirus and injuries, the Sky Blues not only picked up their 3 rd  Premier League title in 4 years, but did so in style, registering 86 points out of a possible 114. Their nearest competitors, M...

                                     REAL MADRID 2020-21: A TROPHYLESS SEASON credit: ManagingMadrid    ̴Shiven Roy Edited by: Mitansh Kagalwala Real Madrid’s 2020-21 season described in a few words would be unstable and erratic. The team's domestic league performance seemed average and inconsistent throughout with unexpected losses to Alaves and Cadiz, but there were glimpses of great play during the big games against Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona. The team eventually played well enough to still be in with a shot at the title till the final match day, requiring Atletico to lose and to win themselves to clinch a surprise comeback league win. Unfortunately, a late Suarez for their Madrid neighbours kept Real in second place. Experience and Age:  Real Madrid are an old, ageing side, but they showed that experience matters, winning both the El Clasicos against a younger and tale...

  10 Things From Barca’s 2020-21 Season credit: scroll.in          ̴ ̴Mitansh Kagalwala ̴ THE NEGATIVES The Defense is still leakier than a dam hole:  In the 2020-21 season, Barca conceded 38 goals in 38 games, at an average of a goal a game. For comparison, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, who finished above them, conceded 25 and 28 goals, 10 and 13 less than Barca, respectively. Barca had the worst defensive record in the top 4. Not good enough. Individual mistakes cost Barcelona dear, with even the usually dependable Marc Andre Ter Stegen culpable of a few. Too often Barcelona threw away a lead with lousy defending. Barca dropped 9 points from winning positions this season. If they had kept the lead in those games, they would have won the title. Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba are aging, Clement Lenglet’s form has taken a massive dip, Umtiti is no longer the player he was two seasons ago, Roberto was injured for the greater part of the season,...