Kerala Blasters was staring at relegation midway through the 2026 ISL season with just one point from six matches.

Kerala Blasters had its worst start in history and coach David Catala was under fire. A 1-1 draw against East Bengal in the away match gave faint hope of a revival.

However, Kerala Blasters lost 1-3 at home to Punjab FC and Catala was forced to leave his position via mutual agreement with the club. 

Englishman Ashley Westwood was appointed as interim coach and tasked with salvaging the disappointing season. However, Blasters’ first match under Westwood ended in a 0-2 defeat against Delhi SC.

The turnaround came in the next away match against Bengaluru FC.

Blasters, after conceding an own goal, came back to stun Bengaluru FC 2-1 through goals from Victor Bertomeu and Francisco Feuillasser.

The win against Bengaluru was followed by a 1-1 draw against NorthEast United at home. Then came the sequence of four consecutive wins which lifted Blasters from the relegation zone and into the eighth position in the points table.

Under Catala, Blasters struggled to score in open play. The Spanish coach didn’t have quality players to implement his possession based playing style. Mispasses, often by Indian players, surrendered the advantage and lack of creativity in midfield saw Blasters fail to take a single shot at the rival goals in most of the matches.

However, after Westwood took over, Blasters managed to increase its open play efficiency. The passing errors came down drastically and the team played more direct football showing mobility and penetration with improvised play in the flanks.

Kevin Yoke of Kerala Blasters FC celebrates after scoring against FC Goa in the Indian Super League football at Kochi on Monday, May 18, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
R.K. Nithin

Kevin Yoke was the heart of the Blasters attack with his penetrative runs on the right flank. The arrival of Karim Benrife, Francisco Feuillasser and Fallou Ndiaye during Westwood’s tenure increased the quality.

Westwood was tactically flexible and changed formations as per the requirement. The Blasters’ defence consistently kept its shape, limiting the attacking options of its rivals. And the switch from defence to attack was quick and often caught the rival defence napping.

Westwood placed the Indian players in the right positions and managed to bring the best out of them. Freddy Lallawmawma, Vipin Mohanan and R.V. Hormipam prospered under Westwood.

Moreover, the team displayed a rare fighting spirit and fought till the end. With things falling in place, Westwood turned a sinking ship into a cruiser though it came too late.

Manchester City’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) assured Arsenal a first Premier League title since Arsene Wenger’s “Invincibles” in 2004.

But the road to success was anything but smooth.

Back in 2021, Arsenal’s hierarchy had a big decision to make. It was August 28, and the team had just lost 5-0 at Man City to slump to the bottom of the Premier League standings with a third straight loss to open the season — something that hadn’t happened since 1954.

Mesut Ozil, who had just left Arsenal after being frozen out by Arteta, sarcastically posted “Trust the process” on social media, in a cutting reference to the methods of his former coach.

The board, headed by American owner Stan Kroenke, stuck with Arteta, though.

In the early years of his tenure, Arteta placed his trust in younger players to revive Arsenal’s fortunes.

Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe were among the academy players promoted to the first team. An 18-year-old Gabriel Martinelli arrived from Brazil in 2019.

Another 18-year-old, William Saliba, joined the same year from France and was initially loaned out. Over the next couple of years, players under the age of 23 — such as Ben White and Martin Odegaard — were signed.

Arteta honed these youngsters into top-class Premier League players but it was clear that to make the final step, the club needed to buy slightly older, elite-level players like Declan Rice, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze.

They didn’t come cheap.

Finishing as runner-up in the Premier League for the past three years saw Arsenal’s players and Arteta derided as “nearly men,” even chokers.

But Arteta kept believing in his squad — and kept coming up with unorthodox, ridicule-inviting methods to inspire his players.

A professional pickpocket was reportedly hired for a preseason dinner and took items from players, highlighting the need for them to be alert at all times.

Arteta brought a lightbulb into the locker room ahead of one game, linking that to his demand for the team to shine and light up Emirates Stadium. Just a few weeks ago, TikTok videos featuring fan chants were played on big screens during practice sessions.

For a couple of seasons, Arteta’s Arsenal has been the emblem of a more back-to-basics approach in English football — set-pieces, long throw-ins and long balls from the back.

It’s a world Arsenal has mastered, with Gabriel Magalhaes a menace at corners, Rice key with his pinpoint throws and dead-ball deliveries, and Gyokeres a more robust, hold-up striker.

Rice and goalkeeper David Raya have stood out for Arsenal this season, putting them among the favorites for English soccer’s Player of the Year award.

On February 15, as India and Pakistan faced off in a marquee T20 World Cup clash in Colombo, more than 11,000 football fans assembled at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium to watch Bengaluru FC begin its Indian Super League (ISL) campaign against Sporting Club Delhi.

Is football carving out a niche under the giant shadow of cricket in Bengaluru, and what in-stadia experience is attracting the enthusiasts? The Hindu examines the sporting scene of the city seeking answers.

Read full story here:

Manchester United’s season had taken on a familiar, unsettled quality when Michael Carrick stepped into the managerial role in January. The dismissal of Ruben Amorim, following months of inconsistent results and mounting discontent, had left the club once again at an uncertain crossroads, a position it has occupied with uncomfortable regularity in the years since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

United’s resurgence under Carrick has drawn inevitable parallels with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s interim spell in 2018-19. Both former United players inherited sides midway through troubled campaigns and restored optimism through improved results, with Solskjær winning 14 of his first 19 games and guiding United to a sixth-place finish before earning the role permanently.

Carrick’s impact, while less frenetic in style, has been similarly significant. United, sixth in the Premier League table when he assumed charge, has since registered 11 victories from 16 matches and collected 36 points. The team has shown greater defensive discipline and a more coherent structure in possession. Kobbie Mainoo, among others, has flourished under the renewed confidence that has taken hold at Carrington.

The season’s most significant outcome has already been secured. A third-place finish in the Premier League guarantees United’s return to the UEFA Champions League, no small achievement for a side that spent much of the campaign adrift from its stated ambitions.

The club’s hierarchy has moved to formalise the arrangement. Carrick has signed an initial two-year contract through 2028, with the option of a further year, terms that reflect measured confidence rather than unconditional endorsement, given the scale of the task ahead.

Whether this marks the beginning of a sustained recovery remains uncertain. Solskjaer too revived optimism during his early months at Manchester United. The question now is whether Carrick can build something more enduring than what Solskjaer ultimately managed.

Kerala Blasters extended its unbeaten run to five matches with a dominant 3-1 win over Mohammedan Sporting Club in the India Super League (ISL) football at the Jawaharlal Nehru International stadium here on Sunday (May 10, 2026).

After conceding the lead against run of play in the first half, Blasters bounced back through goals from Francisco Feuillasier (44), Victor Bertomeu (59) and substitute S.M. Sreekuttan (74) to take full points.

Selfie time: Kerala Blasters’ goal scorers Sreekuttan, Victor Bertomeu, Francisco Feuillassier pose with Kevin Yoke, who provided two assists after their victory against Mohammedan Sporting Club in the ISL match in Kochi on Sunday, May 10, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
THULASI KAKKAT

Roy Mahitosh stunned Blasters with a 25-yard piledriver to give Mohammedan the short-lived lead in the 42nd minute. With the win, Blasters took its points tally to 14 from 12 matches and is placed eighth in the table.

Mohammedan’s three match unbeaten streak ended with this loss and it remains at the bottom of the table with three points.

Sreekuttan scores Kerala Blasters’ third goal against Mohammedan Sporting Club during their ISL football match in Kochi on Sunday, May 10, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
THULASI KAKKAT

Blasters dominated Mohammedan in the first half largely through the ingenuity shown by Kevin Yoke on the left flank. Mohammedan survived through captain Padam Chettri’s brilliance under the bar. Chettri made three good saves to thwart Blasters’ strikers in the first half.

However, Mohammedan scored against the run of play when Mahitosh dispossessed Ferddy Lallamawa and made a searing run and ended it with a long ranger which brushed the near post and went in. Blasters drew level within two minutes when Yoke threaded a pass between three defenders for Francisco to score.

Kerala Blasters’ Francisco Feuillassier celebrates after scoring the first goal against Mohammedan Sporting Club during an ISL football match in Kochi on Sunday, May 10, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
THULASI KAKKAT

Bertomeu headed Blasters ahead in the 59th minute through a precise centre from Yoke. Sreekuttan looked ungainly when he headed a cross from Yoke wide in the 72minute. However, Sreekuttan made amends when he chipped the ball in from a Bertomeu’s cross to complete the tally in the 74th minute.

The result: Kerala Blasters 3 (Francisco Feuillasier 44, Victor Bertomeu 59, S.M. Sreekuttan 74) bt Mohammedan SC 1 (Roy Mahitosh 42).

Punjab FC will aim to bounce back in the Indian Super League when it faces Inter Kashi at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Monday.

The side, coached by Greece’s Panagiotis Dilmperis, was stung by a heart-wrenching 2-3 defeat to Mohun Bagan Super Giant in its previous encounter on April 12.

Serial Champions League winner Real Madrid bared its fangs but left Munich staring down the barrel of a second consecutive season without a major trophy and with head coach Alvaro Arbeloa’s tenure looking tenuous.

Nine points behind La Liga leader Barcelona, Real seems destined to end a troubled campaign empty-handed after its dramatic European quarterfinal exit against Bayern Munich on Wednesday. Arbeloa’s side took the lead three times at the Allianz Arena and until Eduardo Camavinga’s 86th-minute red card had every chance of going through after going blow-for-blow with the Bavarian giants in a thrilling clash.

Title-chasing Manchester City faces leader Arsenal in a seismic showdown at the top of the Premier League on Sunday. Troubled Chelsea desperately needs a win against Manchester United in the race for Champions League qualification, while Liverpool is also in search of a morale boost in the Merseyside derby.

Mikel Arteta’s side travels to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday nursing a a six-point lead over second-placed City as it targets a first English title since 2004.

Moroccan soccer fans, in particular, are being frustrated at the Africa Cup of Nations because many can’t get tickets for their own team’s games.

Morocco and neighbouring Algeria were the only teams to have their group-stage tickets sell out, but again on Friday there were empty seats for the host nation’s match against Mali in the near 70,000-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

“I tried to log in to the (ticketing) site early, but unfortunately many people logged in at the same time and I couldn’t get a place. It was completely full,” said Morocco supporter Amin Mazraoui, who was waiting outside the stadium before kickoff.

Another fan named Hicham had the same experience, trying the official ticket portal but finding every game sold out almost as soon as he started looking. He was going to watch the match at home.

The official attendance for Friday’s game was given as 63,844 – more than had attended the opening game and ceremony in the same stadium.

Touts are being blamed for snapping up tickets to the matches they feel are likely to be most popular, sensing an opportunity to sell them on for as much as 10 times what they paid. Reports suggested €50 ($59) tickets were being offered for ₹500 ($590).

“There are people connecting with 10 computers, maybe 15 computers connecting at the same time and buying a lot of places, so it’s because of them that we didn’t manage to get any seat,” Mazraoui told The Associated Press.

But all supporters (and journalists) have to provide identification through a local app called Yalla to get access to stadiums, and it seems the additional measures are making it more difficult for touts to transfer ticket-ownership.

One fan who gave his name only as Khalid was lucky and said he paid 100 Moroccan dirhams ($11) for his ticket to the game. Compared to nearby Europe, starting prices are far cheaper, while there’s no comparison to the asking prices for 2026 World Cup games.

On Wednesday, only 16,115 attended Algeria’s game against Sudan in the 22,000-capacity Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, which had been sold-out long before.

Some fans waited outside after hearing reports they’d be let in for free, then rushed the gates in an effort to get in once the game had started. Security at other stadiums has allowed free entrance after kickoff in order to increase attendance.

“They won’t open the gates for Morocco,” Mazraoui said.

The attendance at Congo’s match against Benin in the 18,000-capacity Stade El Barid in Rabat was corrected from 6,000 to 13,000.

Other games have seen little difference, with heavy rain also discouraging local fans from attending.

The 68,000-capacity Grand Stade de Tanger in Tangier felt mostly empty on Tuesday for Senegal’s match against Botswana despite 18,500 being in attendance.

The Confederation of African Football, the organizing authority, did not respond to a request for comment.