ISL 2017: 5 reasons why Chennaiyin FC can win the title

#5 Turning those draws into wins

Constant draws from winning positions hurt Chennaiyin last season

In 2015, Chennaiyin missed out on making the semis for the first time after they finished seventh with 15 points to their name. Only one team finished lower, FC Goa, and they were abysmal while Chennaiyin wasn't that bad. The one bad habit they picked up last season though were an inability to win home games, drawing plenty.

Goa lost eight matches last season while NorthEast United and Pune City, who both finished above Chennaiyin, lost six games each. Chennaiyin lost fewer games than this trio (5), but suffered due to their six drawn games, a figure bested only by last year's champions ATK. One of those draws was a gut-wrenching 3-3 result against NorthEast United in a must-win game at home. In a classic encounter, Dudu Omagbemi's hat-trick had brought the roof down and his third gave Chennaiyin a 3-2 lead. But in the final minute of stoppage time, some lax defending in the box allowed NorthEast to level from a corner and that proved to be the end of Chennaiyin's hopes.

So, the focus for them will be on how to turn those draws into wins and with familiar personnel and a strong core present, a lot of that is likely to get fast-tracked.