Punjab FC create history with historic 2-1 win against Everton FC

by FC August 4, 2024

Punjab FC Triumphs, East Bengal FC and Muthoot FA Fall Short in Next Generation Cup

The third day of the Reliance Foundation presents Premier League Next Generation Cup was a riveting affair for Indian fans as Punjab FC dominated their matchup against Everton FC. They are the only Indian team to register a win in the tournament in the current edition so far.

Punjab FC’s strikers delivered at the highest level as the team also won the penalty shootout to earn four points for the day. Punjab FC’s coach Sankarlal Chakraborty talked about learning from the past two days and applying all the knowledge gained into the contest today. They maintained more ball possession and were brilliant on both sides of the field while maintaining their composure even in the face of adversity.

“We conceded a goal but nobody got demoralized, and that is the true strength of our players. Our full team used team spirit and dominated our rivals technically and tactically to achieve success,” Punjab FC coach Sankarlal Chakraborty said after his team’s thrilling victory against Everton FC.

He added that the entire team feels proud of their win today because an Indian side defeated a European team, saying, “As a coach, and from the perspective of the full team, we are all feeling very proud because a European team was defeated by an Indian team.”

Everton FC won by a massive six goals yesterday against East Bengal FC, so after Joel Catesby scored in the 11th minute, many expected another convincing outing from their side. However, Punjab FC players held their nerves and produced a magnificent comeback to win the game 2-1. Coach Chakraborty’s boys came out of half-time with a pep in their step. Manglethang Kipgen scored a piece of a goal in the 26th minute and Usham Thoungamba Singh iced the win with a brilliant strike in the 42nd minute.

Punjab FC didn’t even let Everton FC get a bonus point as they continued their positive day with a 4-3 win in the penalty shootout.

East Bengal FC vs Aston Villa FC

Meanwhile, the situation wasn’t as cheerful on the other pitch as East Bengal FC suffered yet another loss. They were defeated 4-0 by Aston Villa FC in regulation and also couldn’t capitalize in the mandatory penalty shootout.

Aston Villa FC dominated possession and controlled the tempo of the game consistently. They were equally effective in both halves and East Bengal FC, despite their tireless defense, were unable to contain the English side’s strikers.

Rory Wilson and I’Lani Edwards scored in the 9th and 16th minutes, respectively while Omar Khedr and Mason Cotcher found the back of the net in the 34th and 39th minutes, respectively.

Tottenham Hotspur FC vs Muthoot FA

A few hours earlier, Tottenham Hotspur FC faced off with Muthoot FA and the result was similar to the Aston Villa FC vs East Bengal FC game. Across the 50-minute game, Spurs held the upper hand and were seamless upfront. The Anees Koraliyadan-coached side were industrious in their efforts on both ends of the pitch too but fell short of maintaining adequate discipline at the back, thus giving the Spurs abundant opportunities to find the back of the net.

Beggs pierced into the Muthoot FA box with sheer pace, delivering a deft low cross that James tapped in to open the scoring for the game. The following two goals were solo efforts by the Tottenham Hotspur FC players. Leon Myrtaj drilled into the right side of the 18-yard box, before doubling the lead of the North London side in the 28th minute.

A long ball in the 44th minute was brought down by Reiss Elliott-Parris with a sublime first touch, and then slotted past Muthoot FA goalkeeper Kamalesh Mathivanan, who had rushed ahead of his line. Three minutes later, Luca Williams-Barnett received and netted a marvelous cross from Miracle Adewole, to round off a convincing outing for Tottenham Hotspur FC. They followed it up by winning the mandatory penalty shootout by a 3-2 margin, thus bagging the bonus point as well.

Tournament Rules

The 2024 Next Generation Cup consists of 50-minute games with 25-minute halves. Additionally, teams participate in a penalty shootout at the end of the game regardless of the result in regulation time. It gives the two sides a chance to earn a bonus point.

Brief Scores

• Punjab FC 2 (Manglethang Kipgen 26’, Usham Thoungamba Singh 42’) – 1 Everton FC (Joel Catesby 11’)
• Aston Villa FC 4 (Rory Wilson 9’, I’Lani Edwards 16’, Omar Khedr 34’, Mason Cotcher 39’) – 0 East Bengal FC
• Tottenham Hotspur FC 4 (Herbie James 10’, Leon Myrtaj 28’, Reiss Elliott-Parris 44’, Miracle Adewole 47’) – 0 Muthoot FA

Penalties

• Punjab FC 4-3 Everton FC
• Aston Villa FC 4-2 East Bengal FC
• Tottenham Hotspur FC 3-2 Muthoot FA

Also Read: “There were moments in the first half where the pressure was quite high” – Tottenham Hotspur coach Stuart Lewis commends Punjab FC’s defensive strategies

Also Read: Passion and challenge propelled me to take up Blue Tigers duty, says Manolo Márquez

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