EPL final stretch - Arsenal

Arsenal began this season very much as title contenders alongside the usual suspects – Chelsea, Manchester united, and Manchester City. They began the season with a trademark loss to West Ham United, after which they managed to string together a good run of wins to end us as title favourites at the turn of the year.

Solid wins over Manchester United and Manchester City proved that they’ve got the class and quality to go all the way but come February, their title claims too a severe hit. Losing out to a rejuvenated Manchester United, Chelsea doing the double over them, and some unfavourable results leaves Arsene Wenger’s men in 3rd, behind Tottenham and Leicester City on the table, and on odds to win the league.

Their final 8 games include an away game at Upton Park and another away tie against Manchester City. These two present the only big threats as points dropped for the gunners. Having pulled up their socks in a good show against Everton, there’s no telling where this unpredictable season will end for Wenger. One thing is for certain, they rely heavily on local rivals Tottenham and title favourites Leicester to drop points if they are to claim top spot.

It’s definitely trying times for Arsenal fans who have once again fallen on the “Arsene Out” chants as Arsenal dropped out of the FA Cup and the Champions League in the span of a week. Despair is not going to get them anywhere though, it’s time for them to bring out their Arsenal merchandise and show support for the Emirates boys in full voice. It’s either that, or yet another disappointing end to the season. If you’re an Arsenal fan reading this, check out our range of Arsenal goodies and Arsenal products sourced directly from the official Arsenal store here - https://www.goalsquad.com/football/arsenal-f-c

Buy original Arsenal merchandise and give the Gunners a strong run in to the final whistle!

EPL final stretch – Liverpool

It’s been a topsy turvey season for the Reds so far. After a horrid start to the season that saw the end of Brendan Rodgers at the Kop, scouser fans were overjoyed to welcome Jürgen Klopp to Anfield in October.

The German manager’s reign kicked off slowly, with three consecutive draws, as he tried to adapt the Liverpool squad to his Gegenpressing tactics. The hard work in training finally paid as the Reds began to string together wins…kicked off by a 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.

Klopp has shown that he can definitely bring this Reds side face-to-face with England’s big clubs and come away victorious, but it’s with the smaller teams that he has struggled. While wins over Chelsea and Manchester City were duly celebrated by scousers bringing out their Liverpool merchandise in full glory; loses to Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and West Ham left a sour taste in their mouths.

Currently sitting in 9th position with 9 games to play, it’s going to be a tough task for Liverpool to finish in the Champions league spots. With games against Spurs and Chelsea their biggest challenges, there’s no telling where they could finish on the table. Their best hopes are to win the Europa League and automatically qualify for Europe next year. After coming so close to winning the league in the 2013-14 season, the last two have once again been hugely disappointing for Liverpool fans. If you know any, maybe you could get them some Liverpool gifts from here - https://www.goalsquad.com/football/liverpool-f-c and brighten up their day!

EPL final stretch - Chelsea

There’s no way to put in words how disappointing it must be to be a Chelsea fan. After winning the league in fancy fashion last season, Jose Mourinho really seemed to have lost the locker room in this one. The 2015-16 season has seen the Blues side break all the wrong records as they forayed to retain their crown.

Three loses and a draw in their first five premier league games set the tone for the rest of the year as Mourinho struggled to bring out the best of Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa. A trademark Mourinho win over Arsene Wenger and Arsenal seemed to give the Stamford Bridge faithful some temporary relief, but the tides were not to change.

Disappointing results, the Eva Carneiro debacle, and unending rumours that the Chelsea squad had fallout out of favour with Mourinho left Chelsea hanging cold in 14th place at the start of December. Calls for Jose to be sacked began to ring around London and the media went into frenzy. Two consecutive premier league defeats to Bournemouth and Leicester City seemed to be the final nail in Mourinho’s coffin and he was sacked before the turn of the year. Fans were back with their Chelsea merchandise and Chelsea goodies in the stands to rally the troops once again.

The new year began with Guus Hiddink as interim manager and the Blue lions going undefeated for all of January. It was a sign of things to come as the Dutchman managed to pick up the spirits of the players and brighten the mood at Stamford Bridge. A series of promising displays in England were marred by their UEFA Champions League exit to PSG but the Blues currently sit in the top half of the table and can only look up.

With eight games to play, John Terry and his band of brothers have nothing but respect and pride to play for, and the road ahead is not an easy one. Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and Manchester City are yet to visit Stamford Bridge while the blues also have an away trip to Anfield before the end of the season. From just these four fixtures, it is hard to tell how many points could be won or lost – such is the nature of this season, but Chelsea fans will have their eyes set on a Europa spot for sure. As a Chelsea fan, it’s time to pick up the pace and raise your voices and help the Blues finish this season on a high. If not for anything else, at least to ensure that the next manager to walk in through the doors at Stamford Bridge is welcomed with many Chelsea Gifts in hand!

If you’re a true blue fan and are sticking by the team in these times of trouble, we’ve got tonnes of Chelsea merchandise and memorabilia for you right here - https://www.goalsquad.com/football/chelsea-f-c. Get shopping and get set for strong title challenge next season!

EPL Final stretch – Manchester United

Based on the high hopes and aspirations of the Red Devils, last season’s 4^th place finish as a disappointing result for Louis van Gaal. The Dutch tactician was set to reorganize his squad over the summer and set up the English giants for a big title bid this season. Having brought in some talented players from his homeland, and the very exciting acquisition of Antony Martial, the stage was set for United to claim top spot.

They started the season in good enough knick with wins at home to Spurs and Liverpool amongst five wins in eight. A big loss to Arsenal in October and a series of disappointing draws saw United drop valuable points in the title race. By December, the mood at Old Trafford had become glum, and fans began showing their disdain. At the turn of the year, United sat 6^th on the table and nine points behind rivals Arsenal.

Given the hopes and expectations set by the media, the board, and the fans alike, the weight of the world was on van Gaal’s shoulders and it began to show as he lashed out in press conferences. Every fixture suddenly became a do or die situation for the coach, with his future constantly the point of discussion in the press. An up and down series of events saw van Gaal scrape through the tough period with a resounding 3-2 win over Arsenal in Feb being the cherry on the cake. Currently in 6^th place and with 8 games to go, there’s still hope for Louis Van Gaal to push the Red Devils into the champions league positions.

For the fans of Manchester United, it will be a disappointing end to the season given that all their title contenders have faltered miserably. None of England’s top clubs have taken advantage of each other’s fallacies and risen to the occasion. From that point of view, you can’t blame the fans if their not waving their Manchester United goodies in full glory. But there’s still work to be done.

The final eight games for the Old Trafford outfit include vital fixtures against Tottenham, West Ham and Leicester City. To come away with 7 points from these three games will be enough to challenge for 4^th place – albeit, with the hopes that Manchester City continue their rotten form and drop points. It will definitely be a big boost for the club if they qualify for Europe’s top competition next season because the sales in Manchester United merchandise will play a big role in their market spending. 

Talks of van Gaal out continue to erupt every time the team put in a poor performance and the Dutchman’s position as Manchester United manager is far from guaranteed, but there’s still hope. With the talent in the Manchester United store and the drive to finish above their local rivals, there’s no telling what could happen come May 2016. For now, get your hands on some of these Manchester United goodies sourced directly from the Manchester United online store and hope for the best as the Red Devils head into the final leg of this season -https://www.goalsquad.com/football/manchester-united-f-c

EPL Final stretch – Manchester City

What a yo yo of a season it has been for the blue half of Manchester. Starting off as second title favourites, soon become favourites after Chelsea’s poor performances, and soon after finding themselves struggling in 4^th place. There’s more than enough evidence here that money along cannot by you trophies!

City started the season in top form – five wins in a row with a big win against Chelsea. They continued the season with resounding wins over mid-table opposition but struggled against big clubs Liverpool, United, Tottenham and Arsenal. Manager Manuel Pellegrini didn’t seem to be doing much wrong but given the money that has been spent, more was expected of the Chillean manager.

At the end of January, the Citizens were just 3 points behind surprise league leaders Leicester City when the big wigs at the Etihad Stadium confirmed that Pellegrini would be departing at the end of this season. Pep Guardiola was confirmed as City’s next boss. The fans in the blue half of Manchester were overjoyed and came out in full support of their new manager with Manchester City merchandise in hand. In the locker room however, Pellegrini was left with the conundrum of figuring out whether he should continue to persevere or if he should just sit back and wait for the season to end.

In the months following Guardiola’s performance, it has become more than evident that Pellegrini has either lost interest in winning things this season, or that the players are no longer backing him – knowing full well that a new boss will be coming in. The results began to show, with three consecutive losses to Leicester City, Tottenham and Liverpool. More dropped points against Norwich left the Manchester club in 4^th place on the table, nine points behind the league leaders.

In their remaining 9 games, City host United at the Etihad, visit Chelsea at the Bridge and face Arsenal in the penultimate game of the season. They also have the added weight of Champions League quarter finals ties against PSG in between which puts the onus of a successful season squarely in the hands of Pellegrini. Should he take City to European glory and sacrifice their premier league position, or should he try and chase down the league title at the risk of losing out in Europe.

From a fan’s point of view – it’s nigh on impossible to win the league. The Champions League on the other hand is still a possibility. Can the Manchester City gifts of glory redeem this season for Pellegrini? Or will he play it safe and leave with a whimper?

Madrid’s Magicians - Real Madrid Top 5 Players

“When I was younger, I had some close friends who always loved European football and Real Madrid F C were the dominant force” – Quote by British football leader Gareth Bale.

April is here with a bang – electioneering is on for five states and the sun is glaring down at us with his full force. We are running for cover but those indulging in a game of football with friends must be out slathered with sun tan oil and sipping iced drinks. It’s time to sit indoors in air conditioned rooms and halls, and watch matches of your favourite Real Madrid F C on your expensive plasma TVs.

Let’s get you on a different track and let us list Real Madrid Top 5 players who made the team the dominant player in Europe as affirmed by hunk Mr. Bale.  Send us your Real Madrid Top 5 players so that we can compare notes over ice tea and cup cakes. What say my dears? So let’s get the names and the legends rolling.

Christiano Ronaldo – Just as good looking a man he is, he is also one of the best that Portugal has produced. Under his leadership Real Madrid F C has gone from strength to strength. He is a brilliant player and winner of FIFA’s football player of the year on multiple occasions. He is skillful and also really fast. Plus his model looks make him a heart throb. The now retired Brazilian boy has been dubbed “The phenomenon”. Can anyone tell us why? Ronaldo was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the greatest living players compiled in 2004. He played for the Spanish football team for 4 years beginning with 2002.

Zinedine Zidane – The current coach of the team has also played for the team in the past. He has been named player of the year by FIFA on three different years.  He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all times. The French born has led his teams to a series of trophies and controversies have also dogged his footsteps.

Karim Mostafa Benzema -- A French professional of Algerian descent footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid and the France national team as a striker. He has been described as an "immensely talented striker" who is "strong and powerful" and "a potent finisher from inside the box. Benzema became a starter and had a breakthrough year scoring over 30 goals as Lyon won its seventh straight league title. For his performances, he was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Ligue 1 Player of the Year and named to the organization's Team of the Year.

David Beckham – The magical star from England and its captain needs no introduction. His footwork, his style and his wife have cemented his position for the club’s fans for years. His is numero uno for all of us.

Kaka – The simple word Kaka is enough to drive his fans of the great and the team in frenzy. Brazilian and attacking midfielder, he also has a big heart to boot. A man of all seasons