Chennaiyin FC thrashed Punjab FC in their Indian Super League fixture on Sunday night. They have jumped to the top half of the table to disrupt the league standings.
Chennaiyin FC secured a commanding 5-1 win over Punjab FC, their second victory of the season. Meanwhile, Punjab FC are yet to register their first win in the competition.
Ahead of this fixture, Chennaiyin FC were 10th in the points table, while Punjab FC were right behind them at 11th.
However, Chennaiyin FC have taken a massive leap with three points as they have jumped to the sixth position in the league standings with six points. They have registered two wins and three losses in five matches.
On the other hand, Punjab FC are still 11th with two points. They have two draws and three losses against their name after five fixtures.
Chennaiyin FC register successive wins to pick up some momentum
Chennaiyin FC came out all guns blazing tonight as they attacked Punjab FC right from the outset. However, it took them 24 minutes to score the first goal as Ryan Edwards’ effort was deflected into the back of the net.
Connor Shields doubled the lead three minutes later with a brilliant team goal. The hosts put the game to bed within the first half as Rafael Crivellaro converted a penalty to extend the lead in first-half stoppage-time.
Things went from bad to worse for Punjab FC in the second half as Melroy Melwin Assisi earned himself a red card in the 48th minute.
Connor Shields completed his brace in the 56th minute to assert the dominance of Chennaiyin FC. Vincy Barretto also found the back of the net in the 84th minute.
Krishananda Singh scored a consolation goal for Punjab FC in the 86th minute, but it made no difference on the result as the game ended with a scoreline of 5-1. This was Chennaiyin's second win in a row after their 1-0 triumph over Hyderabad FC.
Chennaiyin FC will next face FC Goa in the league, while Punjab FC will square off against Mumbai City FC in their next fixture of ISL 2023.