The striker rolled back the years to score on his return to the Three Lion’s setup. Before I start this off, here’s a fun fact. Defoe made his debut for England against Sweden in March 2004. Guess who was among his team mates? Gareth Southgate. Coincidentally, it was the England manager's final cap for the Three Lions Yes, Jermain Defoe has been around for that long. And he still has plenty of gas left in the tank. By the time the 2018 World Cup kicks off, Defoe would be 36. Amongst the talents of Harry Kane, Jaime Vardy, Daniel Sturridge, Marcus Rashford and even Wayne Rooney, it’s hard to see Defoe get a ticket to Russia. But here’s the thing; Defoe gets the job done. While it
Author: Gautham Prakash
It’s a shame we haven’t seen the best of Theo Walcott
Plagued by years of inconsistency, in performance and position, time is running out for the Arsenal attacker. I still remember the day when Arsenal signed Theo Walcott. That night, on ESPN’s SportsCenter, the caption ran Wenger’s new THEO-ry. He was 16 — my age at the time. I can’t believe it was over a decade ago. Arsenal have always been a club with an eye for talent. Arsene Wenger is a man who knows his youngsters. This was a manager who turned promising talents into the hottest properties in club football. We know the names in that illustrated list. Theo Walcott was to be Wenger’s latest gem. Before the Southampton graduate had even played in the Premier League, Sven-Göran Eriksson took him to the
The O̶N̶E̶ ̶S̶E̶A̶S̶O̶N̶̶̶ Wonder of Harry Kane
Let me be honest upfront. I was not a fan of the guy. But the more I got around to watch Tottenham’s matches, the more it struck me. Harry Kane is class. Period. You’d say I’m exaggerating if I claim that Kane is the best striker in the league. Perhaps brand me for blasphemy if I say that even Kun Agüero cannot match Tottenham’s captain fantastic. Well, here’s the deal. The thing about numbers, they don’t lie. Kane since 2014/15 94 games 65 goals 9 assists 4 hat-tricks So tell me, who is the best striker in the league? The one season wonder has been turning it on. Season after season. His performance is up their with the best. I mean the very best. C’mon the guy is just 23! I think
Leicester Are Gambling With Claudio Ranieri
The last time the top-flight champions were relegated after winning the title was Manchester City in 1938. Leicester City might join the infamous list. The Champions have lost their attitude, drive, hunger and quite frankly anything good. We are still waiting for Leicester City to arrive this season. But what has arrived has been the imminent danger of relegation. They are yet to win in 2017. What’s more alarming is that they are yet to score this year — the only team in the top four divisions of English football to do so. Ouch! Jaime Vardy, the predator who closed down defenders is a shadow of himself. The silky Riyad Mahrez has lost his mojo. Danny Drinkwater seems clueless without N’Golo Kanté. The
Is it that hard to realize that Arsenal are Arsenal’s Kryptonite?
Every year, Barcelona and Bayern Munich play a game of duck hunting. The ducks are Arsenal. This is the story of the UEFA Champions League for you. I’ve always liked Arsenal. They are a club with an identity. I have admired their footballing model, the Invincibles, and the talents they have showcased over the years. Arsène Wenger has been a great manager and faithful servant. I also understand that Arsenal are not among the European elite. Gooners, that’s the reality. Somehow Arsenal lose their identity when they come up against a top team. Just like they did last night. Wenger walked his team into a slaughter house. In 10 minutes, the Gunners’ were butchered by Bayern Munich. In the face of adversity, Arsenal
In the City of Love, Barcelona Was Spanked. And Now, Sore
They went in the favorites. They came out shell shocked. It’s the St. Valentine’s massacre. And how! Luis Enrique’s team had knocked Paris Saint-Germain out of the competition in 2013 and 2015. This Valentine’s day, the hunter was hunted. Quite simply, the Parisians carved out the Blaugrana and laid them out for the world to watch. The football fraternity is in shock. Not for the defeat. But how it was achieved. There is no hiding for the Catalan giants. They were humbled and humiliated. At the expense of the most glorified winners of Europe’s premier club competition in the last decade, PSG have a foot, head and both hands in the quarterfinals of UEFA Champions League. Allez! They were better than us from
The Rise of Victor Moses!
A man reborn. Phoenix rising from the ashes. Back from the dead. Any phrase would be a fitting reflection on the Nigerian’s meteoric rise under Antonio Conte. In the ‘Battle of the Bridge’ against Tottenham, Victor Moses looked real dangerous. Every time he had the ball, he looked to steam forward. Spurs had their task cut out. And in the end, the ‘wing-back’ was rewarded with the winner. Its just another example of how easily he has slotted into Conte’s system. This is a man renewed and reborn. His manager, fans and critics alike have taken to his new avatar. But he had to fight to earn this — for Victor Moses’ Chelsea career had the hallmarks of failure stamped across it. Moses made his
Chelsea vs Tottenham Preview : Something’s Gotta Give
Its Antonio Conte’s successive wins vs Mauricio Pochettino’s unbeaten run. The question is, who will lose out? Antonio Conte has settled in well. Defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal was turbulence — especially if you are a Chelsea manager. But the Italian tactician has since switched to a 3–5–2 formation. The Blues have not lost since. Chelsea sit at the top of the pack. But whats more impressive is that they haven’t conceded in the last 6 matches. That’s close to 600 minutes of football people! Conte’s unit are one of the most in-form teams in Europe. Tottenham have not won at Stamford Bridge in a long time — 29 in all competitions. The odds favor the Blues to make it 30. Tottenham are reeling. The midweek
Fan Blog: Can Liverpool retain the top spot?
“Liverpool, Liverpool top of the league” The chant reverberated around Anfield as Liverpool heavy metal-ed Watford. The last time I heard this was 916 days ago when the Reds defeated Manchester City in a thrilling encounter at Anfield. But Brendan Rodger’s Liverpool feel agonizingly short of the title. This time, bookmakers have marked them as second favorite for the Premier League trophy. My prediction for the season was for Liverpool to make the top four. Frankly, I figured we’ll be engaged in a dog fight for the last Champions League position. I never expected Jürgen Klopp’s boys’ to sit pretty at the top. Its fair to say that Liverpool are the surprise package of the season till now. Its not about the
Fan Blog: Guardiola & Manchester City will bounce back
The honeymoon period is now over and reality has dawned. Pep Guardiola started out with a 10-match winning streak. Manchester City are winless in the last four. On Sunday, if they don’t snap the streak against Southampton, it will equal Pep’s worst. The last time this happened was over seven years ago. City have their defensive frailties, but things are not as bad as it looks for the Blues. Make no mistake, leaking four goals at the back is lousy. Eyebrows were raised by Sergio Agüero’s omission. But Manchester City sans the Argentine is still a strong team. I actually liked Guardiola’s approach in starting without his star striker. It wasn’t defensive. Purely tactical — he wanted an extra man in the middle