Nov 25, 2022Indian Super League is on the verge of ending this season, and four teams are still fighting for the last spot to reach the Semi-Finals. Mumbai City FC and Hyderabad have already qualified with impressive performances throughout the tournament.
Rahul Bheke led Mumbai City FC has the longest unbeaten run of 18 games and is positioned number one on the points table with 4 points clear from the second-ranked Hyderabad.
The Manager
Mumbai City FC’s Des Buckingham era began in 2021. The English manager did not have the desired start at the club backed by Manchester City owners City Football Group, finishing fifth in the league (CFG). This season is getting compared to the 2020-21 season, during which they won the League Winner’s Shield and the Indian Super League (ISL) trophy.
Cut to February 2023, and Mumbai has not only won the League Winner’s Shield, but their impressive campaign has forced the challengers to compete for second place and whatever position is left in the league at best. The previous season now appears to be a distant memory.
The Longest Unbeaten Streak (18 games)
The Islanders’ 18-match unbeaten streak between a thrilling 3-3 draw against Hyderabad FC on October 9, 2022, and a 5-3 win over FC Goa on February 11, 2023, is the longest in Hero ISL history. Bengaluru FC crushed their dream of remaining unbeaten throughout the league with a thrilling 2-1 victory. Good luck to any team that attempts to break this record in a single season.
Indian Players Have Scored The Most Goals (25)
Jorge Rolando Pereyra Diaz is the highest goal scorer with 11 goals in 18 games for the team.
Mumbai City FC’s domestic front also set a new record during their incredible season. In a single Hero ISL season, their Indian players scored the most goals.
Lallianzuala Chhangte (10)
Bipin Singh (6)
Lalengmawia Ralte (3)
Vinit Rai (2)
Vikram Partap Singh (2)
Vignesh Dakshinamurthy (1)
Mehtab Singh (1)
The Islanders scored 25 goals this season, accounting for 46% of their total goals. It demonstrated that the squad does not rely solely on foreign players for scoring.
Most Goal Scored & Away Wins
Mumbai City FC has scored 54 goals so far and accepted only 21 goals.
In which.
Most Away Goals: 30
Most 1st half Goals: 28
Mumbai City FC has won the most away games in a single season consecutively: 8
The Worry Point
After a long unbeaten run in ISL, Mumbai City FC lost their last two matches. Hoping this is not deep in form for the players and is just a little reminder before the knockouts.
Final Words
Mumbai City FC has outperformed every team in the Indian Super League before qualifying for the semifinals. With Des Buckingham and a mix of experienced foreign players and young Indian talent, the team has the best chance of lifting the cup for the second time after 2020.
