ISL 2022-23: Mumbai City FC 4 - 0 Kerala Blasters: Player ratings for the Tuskers as Ivan Vukomanovic's side come crashing down 

Mumbai City FC once again reached the summit of the Indian Super League table after a convincing victory over Kerala Blasters at the Mumbai Football Arena. The Tuskers were blown away in the first half, with goals from Jorge Pereyra Diaz, Greg Stewart, and Bipin Singh securing valuable three points.

The Islanders got off to a flying start, with former Blasters striker Pereyra Diaz scoring after three minutes. They kept pounding on the Kerala Blasters' door, and Greg Stewart added to the home side's tally just six minutes after the first goal.

Bipin Singh soon joined the party, making it three inside the opening 20 minutes. The Yellow Tuskers were then left shell-shocked when Jorge Pererya Diaz scored Mumbai City FC's fourth goal of the night in the 22nd minute, further adding salt to their wounds.

Ivan Vukomanavic’s side simply had no answers to the Islanders’ front four. A remarkable forty-five minutes was followed by a better performance by the away team, but Mumbai City FC had already done the damage in the opening quarter of the game.

As Des Buckingham’s men slowed the tempo down, there were no goals after Pereyra Diaz’s strike and the game ended 4-0. On that note, let’s look at how Kerala Blasters fared tonight.

Kerala Blasters player ratings

Prabhsukhan Gill – 5/10: Gill's decision to rush forward created the opportunity for Stewart to head the ball into the net for the Islanders second goal. Nonetheless, the young goalkeeper was faultless for the rest of the goals.

Harmanjot Khbara – 4/10: Khabra replaced Sandeep Singh and was caught ball-watching when Bipin Singh darted into the box for Mumbai City FC’s first goal. His early struggles continued when the Islanders regularly targeted his side and created overloads. Khabra looked very rusty and was booked in the second half.

Ruibvah Hormipam – 5/10: Hormipam, like Kerala Blasters’ other defenders, had a forgettable night. He failed to get tight against Pereyra Diaz and struggled to win duels throughout the game.

Victor Mongil – 4.5/10: Mongil came in place of the influential Peter Leskovic but was all over the place. He was out of position for the second goal and largely looked uncomfortable when defending his own box.

Jessel Carneiro – 5/10: Carneiro had a tough game as Chhangte’s runs in behind troubled the left-back. He failed to track the winger’s movement for the Islanders’ second goal.

The left-back also had a quiet night going forward as Chhangte pinned him back. Showed improvement in the second half and made an excellent goal-line clearance to deny Pereyra Diaz his hat-trick.

Ivan Kaliuzhnyi – 5.5/10: Kaluizhnyi’s return was a huge boost for the Kerala Blasters. However, he was forced to defend for large parts of the game as the Islanders created numerical superiority in midfield.

Jeakson Singh – 5/10: Like his midfield partner, Jeakson was dragged all over the midfield and only won 44 % of his ground duels. The likes of Jahouh, Stewart, and Apuia ran rings around him. His performance, however, improved in the second half.

Adrian Luna – 6/10: Luna looked to keep Kerala ticking but struggled to find passes on the break as Mumbai City FC dominated possession.

Following the poor defensive showing, Vukumanovic instructed Luna deeper, which restricted his attacking ability. A surprisingly poor game for the Uruguayan.

Sahal Abdul Samad – 5/10: Sahal made a few darts behind Mumbai City’s defense but was guilty of conceding possession on multiple occasions. He did pose a threat, but those moments were few and far between as he was substituted once again.

Rahul KP – 4.5/10: Rahul KP was anonymous throughout the game as Vignesh kept him at bay. He was subsequently taken off in the 62nd minute.

Dimitrios Diamantakos – 5/10: Diamantakos kept probing the Mumbai City FC backline, but had no clear sight of the goal. His opposite number stole the show as Kerala Blasters struggled to create opportunities.

Substitutes

Apostolos Giannou – 6/10: Giannou arrived at the game with 20 minutes left to play and had a couple of quality chances to restore pride. He, however, failed to convert those opportunities.

Bryce Miranda – 6.5/10: Miranda replaced Sahal and displayed an energetic performance in the last quarter of the game.

Saurav Mandal – 5.5/10: Mandal came in place of Rahul KP around the hour mark. The youngster showed some flashy touches but was largely forced to track back.

Ayush Adhikari – 6/10: Adhikari was tidy when he came on, but had very little time to make an impact.

Vibin Mohanan – 5/10: The 19-year-old made his debut in the Indian Super League. He certainly looked nervous.