AIFF Media Team

KALYANI: Winless in five matches, Chennai City FC will aim to get back to winning ways and propel themselves away from the relegation spot when the Satyasagara-coached side clashes against a resurgent Indian Arrows at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium in Kalyani, West Bengal on Thursday (March 11, 2021). The kick-off is slated for 7 PM IST and the match will be broadcast on 1Sports, whilst being streamed on their Facebook page.

Trouble continues to brew for Chennai City FC as a recent slump in form finds them just a point above relegation-threatened NEROCA. With 9 points out of 11 games, the Chennai-based club will be aiming to grab three points to heap pressure on NEROCA. Although it won’t be a walk in the park as the last time the two sides met, Chennai could only scrape past Arrows in a solitary goal to nil win. With the Arrows in red hot form, the onus lies on Chennai to bring out their A-game and propel them out of a tough spot.

Speaking at the official pre-match press conference, head coach Satyasagara said, “It is disappointing to play in the relegation battle after we expected a top-six finish, at the beginning of the season. We start the matches well and because of bad decisions, we end up losing the match. However, that is football and now we have to deal with the task at hand. We still have a good chance of making it out of the relegation battle but we have to make the most out of the remaining three matches.”

“The Indian Arrows are a young team and they will be mentally spurred for this game as they had recently beaten NEROCA 3-0. They will not give us an easy time and they will go all out to get a positive result. We have to be focused and concentrated. We need to play our style of football and go for the win,” he added.

Midfielder Jockson Dhas said, “This season did not go as planned for us. There were a lot of new elements to deal with but we are ready to give our best in the remaining matches. We have to aim to get maximum points from the remaining matches if we are to avoid relegation.”

Meanwhile, the All India Football Federation’s developmental side, the Indian Arrows, are in red-hot form. Their thumping 3-0 win over NEROCA in their last match gave testimony as to how the side has progressed in the season. With an out-of-form Chennai City FC next in their path, the young guns will be aiming to give their opponents a tough fight and it will not be a surprise if the Arrows pull off even a win.

Speaking at the virtual pre-match meet, head coach Venkatesh Shanmugam said, “Every game is important for us in our development. After the last game where the boys put a tremendous effort to win, the morale is high in the camp. However, we know that tomorrow (Thursday), it will not be an easy match for us.”

“The boys are confident after our win in the last match. They want to continue with the winning mentality. In the last match, the boys showed maturity and discipline on the field. They continued to show their progression and I expect the same from them tomorrow (Thursday) - good football with a positive attitude.”

“We cannot take Chennai City FC lightly as they are former champions of the Hero I-League. Every game for us is difficult as we are a youth side facing senior teams. It will be a tough clash for us,” he added.

Midfielder Ricky Shabong said, “Our preparation is very good for the next match. We are looking forward and raring to go for the next match. Our morale is very high and we are confident in our abilities. The Hero I-League is a good platform for us to showcase our abilities and we have to make the most out of it.”