Next Generation Cup 2024: Punjab FC secure fascinating win over Aston Villa to grab third spot

East Bengal and Muthoot FA suffer defeats in the Next Generation Cup final day.

Indian sides wrapped up their Reliance Foundation presents Premier League Next Generation Cup 2024 campaign with Punjab FC securing a terrific 2-0 victory against Aston Villa FC on the final day of the competition.

Muthoot FA and East Bengal FC finished sixth and eighth respectively, but Punjab FC earned a podium finish and won the hearts on the back of consecutive wins against Everton FC and Aston Villa FC. They dominated their third-place game today right from kick-off and never gave Aston Villa a chance to crawl back into the proceedings.

Punjab FC’s Manglethang Kipgen scored a stunning goal in the 13th minute to continue his sublime run in the competition. Punjab FC is only the second Indian team after Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) to defeat two Premier League sides in a single edition of the Next Generation Cup.

Omang Dodum applied the finishing touches to the game with a brilliant strike in the 35th minute to double Punjab FC’s lead. An erroneous header attempt by Aston Villa gave Dodum a chance to make a run towards the goal and he found the back of the net with his immaculate finishing skills.

As Punjab FC’s coach Shankarlal Chakravarthy said, the boys were calm and composed before the game and they knew what to do once the whistle sounded. The team studied the opposition and improved on both sides of the field in the first two days of the tournament and their victories in the last two matches were a result of all the hard work. They controlled possession effectively and excelled on both sides of the field.

As much as everyone credits the goal-scorers, the defensive line deserves a heap of praise too. Punjab FC’s defense was exceptional and Aston Villa didn’t have any space to operate during the entire match. The goalkeeper Ayush Deshwal saved plenty of on-target attempts by Aston Villa and demoralized their strikers with every block.

As the group stages ended yesterday, there wasn’t a penalty shootout today for a bonus point. Punjab FC finished over storied Premier League franchises like Aston Villa, Everton and Crystal Palace in the final standings.

“Our players have been improving their performances with every passing game. It is a testament to the fact that more exposure trips will further fine-tune their skills and help them develop at both individual and collective levels as a team,” Punjab FC head coach Sankarlal Chakraborty said after the game.

Brief Scores

Punjab FC 2 (Manglenthang Kipgen 13’, Omang Dodum 35’) – 0 Aston Villa FC

Punjab FC Final Position: 3rd

Crystal Palace FC vs East Bengal FC

Crystal Palace FC had a field day against East Bengal FC, putting seven goals past the Red & Gold Brigade. The Eagles had their entire forward line coming to the fore, interlinking admirably well and breaking the East Bengal FC backline from both flanks. They overwhelmed the Indian side inside the penalty box, forcing errors off them and optimizing the chances that came their way.

Caleb Redhead bagged a brace whereas Matteo Dashi notched a hat-trick, with the latter capping off his treble through a spot-kick in the 42nd minute. Sunil Bathala from East Bengal FC scored an own goal in the 20th minute. The goal-scoring carnival commenced with Jean Somade nodding home a header in the fourth minute of the match. For East Bengal FC, Debojit Roy secured a consolation goal in the 43rd minute of the game.

Brief Scores

Crystal Palace 7 (Jean Somade 4’, Matteo Dashi 12’ 21’ 42’, Caleb Redhead 31’ 33’, Sunil Bathala 20’) – 1 East Bengal FC (Debojit Roy 43’)

East Bengal FC Final Position: 8th

Everton FC vs Muthoot FA

Everton FC bounced back from their 2-1 loss against Punjab FC yesterday by brushing aside Muthoot FA by 6-1, thanks to a complete team effort. Striker George Morgan top-scored with a brace, netting once each in the fifth and 31st minutes of the game respectively.

Braiden Graham broke the deadlock in the third minute, whereas Aled Thomas and Joel Catesey found the back of the net in quick succession in the 13th and the 14th minute of the first half. Callum Bates added to that with a strike in the 16th minute, which completely rolled over the sixth-minute strike notched by Mohammed Enas.

Brief Scores

Everton FC 6 (George Morgan 5’ 31’, Braiden Graham 3’, Aled Thomas 13’, Joel Catesey 14’, Callum Bates 16’) – 1 (Mohammed Enas)

Muthoot FA Final Position: 6th

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