ISL 2022-23 | Mumbai City FC vs NorthEast United: Islanders' first half blitz seals another three points 

Mumbai City FC extended their winning run to ten games with a convincing 4-0 victory over bottom-placed NorthEast United at the Mumbai Football Arena on January 19.

As expected, the Islanders started on the front foot, with the Highlanders sitting deeper and allowing their opponents to dominate possession. But Des Buckingham’s side secured an early lead through Ahmed Jahouh.

The Moroccan’s free-kick took a wicked deflection before finding the back of the net. Mirshad Michu, the goalkeeper, had no chance of saving Jahouh’s effort as he dived the other way. The home team soon doubled their lead, with Jorge Pereyra Diaz scoring his ninth goal of the season.

Jahouh was yet again in the thick of the action, finding a stunning pass to Lallianzuala Chhangte. The winger tried to dribble past NorthEast United’s defenders, but Pereyra Diaz was there to slot it past the keeper. They continued to play quality football and scored their third of the night in the 15th minute.

The Highlanders were overwhelmed by Mumbai City FC’s one-touch passing and movement. It was Greg Stewart’s turn to have a pop at goal, but his tame effort deflected off Alex Saji into the empty net. Vincenzo Annese’s side had no answers when the Islanders pushed forward.

After a period of sustained pressure, Mumbai City FC piled on their opponents’ misery by scoring their fourth goal, courtesy of a long-range strike from Vinit Rai. Things went from bad to worse for the visitors when their captain Wilmar Jordan was shown a straight red card towards the end of the half. The first half ended with Mumbai City FC leading by four goals.

Mumbai City FC comfortably secure another victory

With ten men on the field, NorthEast United shifted to an even more defensive setup, looking to double up in wide areas while staying compact in the middle. As a result, the likes of Jahouh, Stewart, and Vinit Rai dominated the midfield despite slowing the tempo down.

Unlike in the first half, the Highlanders were resolute in defense as Buckingham turned to the bench to rest his key players. The youngsters - Sanjeev Stalin, Vikram Pratap Singh, Gurkirat Singh, and Ayush Chhikara - were given some valuable minutes to make an impact.

Despite the changes, the Islanders kept probing and had opportunities to further improve the scoreline. With just minutes left in the game, Gurjinder Kumar was deemed to have fouled Vikram in the penalty box. The referee awarded the penalty, but Pereyra Diaz’s attempt was saved by Michu.

The sheer one-sided nature of the game was showcased by the possession statistics and the number of shots taken by both sides. Mumbai City FC had 74% possession and eleven shots on target, while NorthEast United only had one.

The 4-0 victory took the Islanders seven points clear of Hyderabad FC. Although the Nizams have a game in hand, Buckingham’s well-marshaled squad look unstoppable at the moment. At the other end of the table, NorthEast United’s fortunes are showing no signs of improving.

However, Annese will take the second-half defensive display as a positive and will hope to improve his side’s performances in the upcoming games. They remain bottom of the table with four points to their name.