Just For Kicks

The FA Cup third round over the weekend delivered drama and excitement, with sides in the top-flight largely prevailing but not without challenges. Manchester United edged past Arsenal in a thrilling tie at the Emirates prevailing 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, despite playing much of the match with ten men due to Diogo Dalot's red card. Newcastle United overcame an early scare against Bromley...

It’s that time of year again! The axe has fallen on West Ham’s Julien Lopetegui and Everton’s Sean Dyche, with both clubs teetering above the relegation zone. So far, one confirmed replacement (as of recording) sees former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter stepping in to take charge at the London Stadium. Will more heads roll as managers face the dreaded ‘sack row’? On the pitch, the gang di...

It was an action-packed weekend in the Premier League, with plenty of drama and storylines to unpack. Liverpool held on to their six-point lead over Arsenal after a pulsating 2-2 draw against a determined Manchester United. Despite sitting in the bottom half of the table, United delivered a gutsy performance at Anfield to secure a valuable away point. Meanwhile, Arsenal missed a golden chance to c...

The most anticipated fixture in English football is upon us, as red-hot league leaders Liverpool welcome a struggling Manchester United to Anfield this weekend. For Ruben Amorim, the focus is damage control as he seeks to lift his team up the table—but earning a result against Arne's slot machine might just be an insurmountable challenge. Meanwhile, a revitalized Manchester City takes on West Ham,...

Liverpool and Nottingham Forest are ending 2024 on a high, after both teams won their matches over the weekend. Liverpool continue their relentless march to the title, dismantling West Ham at the London Stadium 0-5, while Nottingham Forest solidify their claim for a top four finish with a solid 0-2 win away to Everton, with the help from star striker Chris Wood. Our pundits share their thoughts on...

EPL's Matchweek 18 delivered on all fronts, with belters, upsets and even a few red cards to entertain us on Boxing Day! Liverpool strengthened their grip on the Premier League title, coming from behind against Leicester City at Anfield, while Chelsea suffered a shock defeat against Fulham - the Cottagers' first win against the Blues at Stamford Bridge since 1979. Elsewhere, both Manchester clubs...

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou's aim of entertaining football fans at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium continues, but this time at his team's expense, as they were at the end of a 3-6 drubbing against Liverpool. Arne Slot's team continues to impress, brushing aside Spurs with ease, solidifying their claim for the title. Their closest challenger, Chelsea drew against Everton, while Arsenal is back in...

Tottenham Hotspur survived a scare in the Carabao Cup to book a place in the semi-final. Their next opponent in the tournament will be the same opponent that they will be facing this weekend in Matchweek 17: Liverpool. After claiming that being a football manager is even a harder job than being a Prime Minister, Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou will be looking to his players to hopefully make his jo...

The blue moon set in Manchester as City suffered their eighth defeat in 11 matches, losing 2-1 to Manchester United in last weekend's much-anticipated derby. Despite Pep Guardiola's recent two-year contract extension, the club faces mounting pressure after late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo sealed their fate. Guardiola acknowledged his shortcomings while Bernardo Silva likened their d...

This season's first Manchester derby promises to be an interesting one as both City and United are in their own little unique crisis. Manchester City lost again, this time against Juventus in their midweek Champions League match, while Manchester United scraped through a win against Viktoria Plzeň, amidst stuttering performances under new manager Ruben Amorim, as well as off-the-field upper manage...

In a topsy-turvy weekend, featuring lots of goals and significant movement across the table, beginning with Storm Darragh's disruption of the Merseyside derby. Liverpool’s postponed match at Goodison Park gave title challengers a chance to close the gap, but only Chelsea capitalized - courtesy of a Cole Palmer brace - securing a thrilling 4-3 comeback win over Tottenham. Tottenham's struggles unde...

It's a busy week of football, with midweek matches welcoming December, ahead of the festive season. League leaders Liverpool and Newcastle played an entertaining 3-3 draw at St. James' Park, while Arsenal showed their pedigree as one of Europe's best at set pieces, with both their goals in their 2-0 win over Manchester United coming from corners. We recapped Matchweek 14, and then look ahead to Ma...

The gap at the Premier League summit continues to widen as a commanding Liverpool triumphed over arch-rival Manchester City, surging nine points clear at the top and 11 ahead of the defending champions. Goals from Cody Gakpo and Mo Salah not only secured the Reds' dominance but also tilted history in their favor. Remarkably, only two teams—Manchester United (1993/94) and Chelsea (2005/06)—have bee...

The long awaited match up is finally upon us, as Matchweek 13 serves up the ultimate juggernaut in the form of Liverpool vs Man City. Arne Slot is performing beyond expectations, as the Reds sit 8 points clear at the top of the table - a gap that can be extended to 11 if they beat Man City at Anfield this weekend. After humbling European Champions, Real Madrid in the midweek Champions League match...

In an unexpected twist, Tottenham Hotspur delivered a commanding performance over the weekend, thrashing Manchester City 4-0 at the Emirates. The Lilywhites were in scintillating form, led by Man-of-the-Match James Maddison, who opened the scoring with a brilliant brace. The result marks an unwelcome milestone for Pep Guardiola—recently committed to an extended stay at City—as he suffers the bigge...

Kam is back! With a vengeance (and jet lag) as he and his pundit partners navigate the mid-week international fixtures, celebrating the minnows of world football and in particular San Marino who is on a two match unbeaten streak and got their first ever away win vs Liechtenstein. They then turn their focus back on this weekend's EPL matches in Matchday 12 as Manchester City aim to break their four...

A wave of unbridled optimism swept through Wembley last night as the Three Lions triumphed in commanding fashion, netting five goals against Ireland to secure promotion in the Nations League. In his brief but (somewhat) transformative tenure, departing interim head coach Lee Carsley orchestrated a revitalization of the national squad, boldly introducing fresh talent. His faith in youth was rewarde...

Lee Carsley's interim stint as England manager went back on track with a good 0-3 win against Greece in the UEFA Nations League, with Carsley playing the "reserves" as 9 players pulled out of the squad. Captain Harry Kane criticised them in an interview, saying that "England comes before anything. England comes before club". Bob Holmes and Dez Corkhill share their thoughts on what happened off the...

Christmas comes early for Arne Slot, as Liverpool secured maximum points winning 2-0 against an in-form Aston Villa as nearest title-contender and reigning champions Manchester City again suffered a shock 2-1 loss - this time away to Brighton & Hove Albion. An outcome that saw Liverpool going five clear at the top of the table, while City struggling with injuries and four consecutive losses, saw t...

After thrashing Armenian side, FC Noah 8-0 in the UEFA Conference League, Chelsea will be looking to heap more misery on Arsenal, especially after the Gunners lost their midweek Champions League match against Inter Milan. Can Mikel Arteta get it right again, beginning with a good performance against the Blues? We look ahead to Matchweek 11 of the English Premier League, after reviewing the midweek...

Moises Caicedo's performance and form in Chelsea blue is beginning to meet expectations, silencing critics who doubted his worth following a record-breaking transfer. Bossing the midfield for 90 minutes while scoring the equalizing goal - via a thunderous volley - rescued a point against Manchester United in a 1-1 draw, perfectly complementing his more attack-minded teammates. Can he keep this "no...

Man United's 2-1 loss against West Ham last weekend was the final nail in the coffin for Erik ten Hag, as he was immediately dismissed the next day. In come United legend, Ruud Van Nistelrooy to take charge on an interim basis, before Ruben Amorim takes over after the next international break. Van Nistelrooy brought the feel-good-factor back to Old Trafford with a resounding 5-2 win against Leices...

Salah proving again that he's the RIGHT man, as his 80th minute equalizer salvaged a point for Liverpool in a 2-2 draw against title-challengers Arsenal at the Emirates. That left Manchester City leading the Premier League after edging past Southampton while the result in North London left both Arne Slot & Mikel Arteta's men five points adrift. Meanwhile, Manchester United’s defeat to West Ham inc...

Just For Kicks returns to the Friday airwaves to summarise another exciting week of European football. The Champions League continues to serve up delectable matches, with Real Madrid showcasing why they're a European royalty, coming back from 0-2 down to win 5-2 against Borussia Dortmund, with Vinicius Jr. reminding the world why he's in with a shout to win the Ballon d'Or. Elsewhere, Aston Villa...

In what was Arne Slot's toughest challenge of the season so far, Curtis Jones delivered a standout performance that saw Liverpool shine. Starting for only the second time this season, the English midfielder not only netted the winning goal but also earned the penalty that Mohamed Salah converted to open the scoring. The Reds will now face Arsenal, Brighton, and Aston Villa before the next internat...