Mumbai City FC vs FC Goa: 3 things we learned | ISL 2022-23

Mumbai City FC coasted past FC Goa 4-1 at the Mumbai Football Arena on Thursday to extend their unbeaten start to the ISL season and solidify their place at the perch of the points table.

The Islanders did the early running and were rewarded in the 16th minute when Jorge Pereyra Diaz slalomed into the box and finished coolly past the goalkeeper. Iker Guarroxtena equalized six minutes later due to a howler by Mumbai City FC goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa.

The visitors’ joy, however, was short-lived. Lallianzuala Chhangte capitalized on a loose ball inside the box and restored Mumbai City FC’s lead two minutes before the break.

After the restart, Diaz made the net bulge again, with Alberto Noguera rifling a shot into the top corner to pile further misery on FC Goa. The Gaurs also saw Edu Bedia sent off in the second half for his second bookable offense.

Here are the three things we learned from the contest.

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#1 FC Goa have problems

All the teams in the ISL have problems. Some are big, some are not as relevant. Some teams encounter it at the start of the season, some at the end of it. And then there is FC Goa, who have always seemed to have a couple of weaknesses about them since the start of the season, but have only just seen the dangers of it resurfacing regularly.

A few days before they traveled to Mumbai, they let Bengaluru FC score two goals, which in itself is not something to be proud of, considering how the Blues were not able to buy a goal prior to that fixture. Then, at the Mumbai Football Arena, they ended up conceding four, with at least three of those being completely avoidable.

At the start of the season, it felt like Carlos Pena had evolved a mechanism to keep things tight at the back, maximize possession and provide a cutting edge in the final third. In recent games, their attacking threat has not dwindled as such. But because they are conceding cheap goals, they have been forced to play catch-up, thereby leaving the back door open to go further behind in matches.

Defensively, they have been leaving too many spaces and teams with quality attackers have made them pay. FC Goa's midfield also looks a little more static than would be ideal, meaning that they are getting overrun and are not having enough control of the game outside of possession.

The worrying bit is that these problems have not arisen all of a sudden. Those who have watched FC Goa closely might know that they are prone to conceding goals. Now, though, that is becoming a big enough issue to undo the work elsewhere.

FC Goa’s attack did not cover itself in any sort of glory against Mumbai City FC, make no mistake about it. But they were already fighting a lost cause by then.

#2 Mistake-laden first half provides apt explanation for ISL’s unpredictability

The first half was pretty entertaining, to be honest. But it was also filled with mistakes. Not just from FC Goa, who were expected to struggle against the might of the Islanders, but also from Mumbai City, who looked woefully open at times – all because of their own doing.

The first goal came about after the Gaurs lost possession in a very dangerous area inside their own half. Greg Stewart then found Diaz, who danced past the challenge of the last defender, and caressed the ball past the advancing goalkeeper. Minutes later, Phurba produced a contender for the howler of the season, letting an innocuous shot go through. The ball swerved a little but the technique the goalkeeper used was not very inspiring either.

Chhangte’s goal also came about as Aibanbha Dohling fluffed a regulation clearance. He went to ground too early and the ball squirmed underneath him, allowing Chhangte to tee himself up and score.

Apart from these goal incidents, a massive chance fell to Alvaro Vazquez after Mehtab Singh connected with fresh air in the 24th minute. Mumbai City FC also left a lot of space in between the lines, with FC Goa thriving through the inside right and the inside left channels in particular.

So, while the first half was topsy-turvy and emphasized everything good about the erratic nature of the ISL, it was also a game that aptly explained why so much unpredictability exists in the league. It is because teams are so prone to making mistakes that they eventually catch up with them after a week or two.

And almost all teams, barring the exception of possibly Mumbai City FC, do not have the firepower to offset it.

#3 Mumbai City FC have one of the best ISL attacks of all time

Okay, this might feel a bit of a stretch because this particular side, under Des Buckingham, is yet to win anything. But just look at them when they are in full flow, which happens pretty frequently by the way, and you understand why this claim is not as ludicrous as it might first seem.

Greg Stewart is perhaps one of the most gifted footballers to set foot on these shores in recent times. A footballer who can rival him for that tag is Ahmed Jahouh. Fortunately for Mumbai City FC, and unfortunately for their rivals, both play for the Islanders.

And if that wasn't enough, they now have Diaz recreating, if not bettering, his exploits from last season with the Kerala Blasters. Mumbai City FC's Indian wingers also carry a much greater goal-threat than the other teams.

The other facet that makes them so irresistible is that they work brilliantly when not in possession. The opening goal against FC Goa was scored because Rahul Bheke pressed high up alongside his team to pinch the ball off Brandon Fernandes. The second goal saw Apuia being fed the ball perfectly in midfield, allowing him to turn and feed Chhangte, who then went on to finish. And the third goal was not very dissimilar.

The most impressive aspect of their play, though, is that there is a pattern, yet, it is flexible enough to keep the opposition guessing. If Stewart is marked out of the game, Apuia and Jahouh take up the mantle. If Diaz drops deep, Bipin Singh and Chhangte run in behind.

And when you give Stewart time on the ball, he can do everything you would want from an attacking midfielder. Also, Noguera just picks out the top corner whenever he wants to.

This is why Mumbai City FC are the team to watch in the ISL. Of course, when talking about all-time status, Mumbai City FC will be pitted against that great Bengaluru FC attack, comprising the irrepressible Sunil Chhetri, fan favorite Miku and the rapid Udanta Singh. Or, the ATK attacking trident of David Williams, Javi Hernandez and Roy Krishna.

Even FC Goa under Sergio Lobera, consisting of the likes of Brandon Fernandes, Hugo Boumous, Ferran Corominas, and Jahouh, were pretty awesome.

But that was in the past. Currently, there is no team better in an attacking sense than Mumbai City FC. They have scored 14 more goals than any other side in the ISL. And that does not include the truckload of chances that they are creating.

Maybe we are witnessing greatness then!