Just For Kicks

Manchester United have dismissed Ruben Amorim after a 14-month spell in charge. His final outing came in a 1–1 draw against Leeds United at Elland Road, after which Amorim openly criticised the club’s hierarchy and stressed that he wanted to operate as a “manager”, not merely a “coach”. United currently sit sixth in the Premier League after 20 matches. We break that down, alongside the PL action i...

Enzo Maresca’s time at Chelsea has come to an end after 18 months, with things unravelling as results dipped and tensions grew behind the scenes. While he had enjoyed real success earlier on, including winning trophies and getting the club back into the Champions League, a poor run of league form and disagreements with the board gradually wore away trust. In the end, both sides felt it was better...

Aston Villa came from behind to defeat Chelsea 2–1 at Stamford Bridge, extending their winning run to 11 matches, equaling their century-old club record. Chelsea took the lead in the first half through João Pedro, who converted from close range following a corner. Villa improved after the break, with substitute Ollie Watkins making an immediate impact by scoring the equalizer shortly after coming...

In a pulsating Carabao Cup quarter-final at the Emirates, Arsenal and Crystal Palace served up a dramatic night of football that ended 1–1 in regular time before Arsenal edged through 8–7 on penalties to reach the semi-finals. Arsenal dominated possession and created the better chances, finally breaking the deadlock in the 80th minute when Maxence Lacroix inadvertently turned a corner into his own...

Liverpool carved out a dramatic 2–1 victory at Tottenham, weathering red cards, shifting momentum and a tense late surge to claim all three points. Florian Wirtz unlocked Spurs with a sharp assist for the opener, though the scorer was forced off injured almost immediately, before Hugo Ekitiké added a second to put Liverpool in control. Spurs rallied late despite being reduced to nine men, but Live...

Rayan Cherki announced himself in style, lighting up Manchester City’s Carabao Cup win over Brentford. After curling a glorious strike into the top corner, the Frenchman didn’t just celebrate — he performed, borrowing Erling Haaland’s now-iconic robot pose with a grin that suggested confidence, cheek, and belonging. With Haaland watching on approvingly from the bench, Cherki’s imitation felt less...

Mohamed Salah’s Anfield return was always going to be in the spotlight. After publicly clashing with Arne Slot, he came off the bench against Brighton, setting up a goal and earning wary applause from fans. His muted lap of honor hinted at tension, remorse, or both—was this the start of an apology or a farewell in disguise? Salah remains the heartbeat of Liverpool, but the cracks in the relationsh...

Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League didn’t just sting—it seemed to crack open the pressure cooker around Xabi Alonso, who now finds himself trying to steady a giant that’s suddenly stumbling. Injuries, missed chances and just two wins in eight have turned the Bernabéu’s usual roar into a restless murmur, even as stars like Bellingham, Courtois and Rodrygo rally arou...

Aston Villa delivered pure chaos and late-game magic, toppling Arsenal 2–1 in a thriller that blew the Premier League title race wide open. Villa Park erupted when Matty Cash smashed in the opener, but Arsenal clawed back as Leandro Trossard leveled the match and cranked up the tension. Just when it looked destined for a draw, Emiliano Buendía unleashed a stoppage-time dagger in the 95th minute, s...

Arsenal’s 2–0 win over Brentford, sealed by goals from Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka, not only restored their five-point cushion at the top of the Premier League but also extended their impressive unbeaten run to 18 matches. Yet the victory came with a cloud, as centre-back Cristhian Mosquera was forced off through injury, deepening the club’s defensive worries amid the ongoing absences of William...

The battle between Chelsea and Arsenal lived up to expectations, with 10-man Chelsea taking the game to Arsenal, despite being a man down after Moses Caicedo's rash tackle on Merino. They took the lead with a smart header from Trevor Chalobah, but Mikel Merino then equalized. Liverpool, meanwhile, got back to winning ways, thanks to goals from Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo, with Mohamed Salah look...

Estevao outshone Lamine Yamal at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea swept aside Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League with a commanding performance, ahead of their showdown against Arsenal this weekend. Are Chelsea a dark horse both in Europe and in the Premier League? Speaking of Arsenal, they're looking more and more imperious, with another irresistible performance, this time against Bayern Munich at t...

Liverpool fell to a shocking 3-0 defeat at Anfield as Nottingham Forest delivered their biggest ever win at the stadium, scoring through Murillo, Nicolò Savona and Morgan Gibbs-White. Despite Liverpool controlling most of the possession, they created little and repeatedly broke down defensively, looking disconnected and low on confidence. Forest, meanwhile, were well-organized, clinical and fully...

Curaçao has stunned the football world, becoming the smallest nation ever to qualify for a men’s FIFA World Cup after a dramatic, hard-fought draw with Jamaica. This tiny Caribbean island — long considered an underdog on the global stage — has shattered expectations with a historic, goosebump-raising achievement. Under the guidance of veteran coach Dick Advocaat, they went unbeaten through qualifi...

Norway have officially booked their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ending a wait that stretched back to 1998. A commanding 4–1 victory over Italy sealed a flawless qualifying campaign, with eight wins from eight. Erling Haaland delivered once again, scoring twice in the decisive match as Norway topped their group with authority. Their resurgence leaves four-time champions Italy facing the uncer...

Rule changes kick things off after a short review of the international break as we dive straight into the fun stuff—what would you tweak, scrap, or totally reinvent in football? VAR meltdowns, handball headaches, maybe even bringing back the good old back-pass just for chaos—our pundits let loose with the rule fixes they’d love to see. From there, we hand out some well-deserved flowers to Pep Guar...

Pep Guardiola marked his 1,000th match as a manager in perfect fashion as Manchester City swept aside Liverpool 3–0 at the Etihad Stadium - beating them for the first time since April 2023 - cutting Arsenal’s Premier League lead to just four points. Erling Haaland redeemed an early penalty miss with a towering header to open the scoring, before a deflected strike from Nico Gonzalez and a stunning...

Liverpool delivered a commanding display at Anfield, defeating Real Madrid 1–0 in the UEFA Champions League. Alexis Mac Allister sealed the victory with a precise header from Dominik Szoboszlai’s pinpoint free-kick in the 61st minute. Though the scoreline was slim, Arne Slot’s men dominated from start to finish, carving out chance after chance only to be denied time and again by the brilliance of...

Arsenal put on a strong show at Burnley, cruising to a 2–0 win with goals from Viktor Gyökeres and Declan Rice. The first came from a clever set piece — Rice whipped in a corner, Gabriel Magalhães flicked it on, and Gyökeres was in the right spot to nod it home. Later, Burnley tried to push forward with a long throw, but it backfired as Arsenal hit them on the break, with Rice finishing it off to...

Liverpool’s Carabao Cup run came crashing down at Anfield as they fell 3–0 to a confident and composed Crystal Palace side. Under the floodlights, Palace dazzled—Ismaïla Sarr struck twice in quick succession before halftime, exploiting Liverpool’s frailties, while Yeremy Pino’s late finish in the 88th minute sealed a memorable triumph. Arne Slot’s bold decision to overhaul his starting lineup, mak...

It may still be early days in the Premier League season, but Arsenal’s intent is unmistakable. After three consecutive runner-up finishes, Mikel Arteta’s side have opened up a four-point cushion at the top following a weekend where their main rivals stumbled. Liverpool’s ongoing crisis—four straight league defeats—and Manchester City’s slip at Aston Villa have left the Gunners as the clear early f...

Harry Maguire’s time at Manchester United has evolved into one of football’s most compelling tales of redemption. Once the world’s most expensive defender following his £80 million transfer from Leicester City in 2019, Maguire endured a dramatic fall from grace — stripped of the captaincy, relegated to the bench, and relentlessly scrutinised by fans and the media alike. A failed move to West Ham U...

The English Premier League returns from an eventful international break with a showdown that's sure to grab the headlines, despite both teams' erratic form. Liverpool host Manchester United at Anfield, looking to get back on track after losing three games in a row - a feat that's unheard of for Arne Slot as he tries to get his new signings to gel together very soon for their title defence. Manches...

So close, yet so far for Indonesia — their World Cup dreams slipped away in heartbreaking fashion after a narrow 1–0 defeat to Iraq in Jeddah, sealed by substitute Zidane Iqbal’s calm and clinical second-half finish. Throughout the match, Indonesia displayed admirable heart, grit, and belief, holding their own against a disciplined Iraqi side. Yet, for all their effort and possession, the finishin...

A stunning stoppage-time goal from 18-year-old Estêvão sealed a dramatic 2-1 victory for Chelsea over Liverpool, denying the reigning Premier League champions a chance to reclaim top spot. Moisés Caicedo had given Chelsea the lead, but Cody Gakpo’s equalizer looked to have earned Liverpool a share of the points—until Estêvão’s 95th-minute winner stunned the visitors. Earlier in the day, Arsenal’s...