As the Indian Super League heads into a two-week break now for the international break, a draw-filled matchweek 4 had its share of storylines emerge, with some big sides heading into the break with plenty of thinking to do.
You can find the basic details and stats from each game here, but here is the fourth installment of our ISL musings this season.
ISL Standings | ISL Results and Fixtures
East Bengal much-improved but still lose
Thirty shots on goal, a penalty missed and the woodwork hit twice - East Bengal did everything but score in Bino George's first game in charge of the first team. Unfortunately, they also conceded twice to lose 2-0 to Jamshedpur FC, who notched up their third win of the season.
Cleiton Silva had a torrid evening in front of goal, as he spurned a few straightforward opportunities. Saul Crespo made a meal of a penalty, handing Albino Gomes a straightforward save too, making the Jamshedpur goalkeeper the man with the most penalty saves in ISL history - five.
East Bengal's biggest concern will be their fitness. They seemed unable to keep up the pace required to chase the game in the second half. They might have slumped to their fourth consecutive loss of the season, but the international break comes at a good time for them to work on their fitness and also build on the good build-up play that they displayed in the loss to Jamshedpur.
Mohun Bagan show their class
Mohammedan SC's head coach Andrey Chernyshov said his team were driving a Tata but couldn't keep up with the Ferrari that Mohun Bagan were driving in a one-sided game at the Salt Lake Stadium which Bagan ended up winning 3-0.
First of many! 🤩💚♥️
Catch all the #ISL action on @JioCinema 👉 https://t.co/8B4UzigVdz 📺#MBSG #JoyMohunBagan #আমরাসবুজমেরুন pic.twitter.com/7t09Na8tcd
- Mohun Bagan Super Giant (@mohunbagansg) October 6, 2024
He was right. Bagan were dominant. They had 22 shots in all, 12 of them on target. Ashique Kuruniyan looked sharp in his ISL comeback, and Jose Molina finally found a combination that stopped Bagan from looking flimsy. Tom Aldred and Alberto Rodriguez were solid in the heart of the defence, and Greg Stewart and Jamie Maclaren, in a very nascent stage of their partnership, seemed to strike up an excellent understanding, too.
Bagan needed a reaction after their 3-0 loss to Bengaluru last week, and they did just that. This is a side filled with so many excellent individuals that it always felt like a matter of time before they found their feet in the league. Now it seems like they have, watch out rest of the ISL.
Rahul Bheke leads solid Bengaluru
Eyebrows might have been raised when Bengaluru FC decided to bring Rahul Bheke back to the club this summer, considering Bheke's advancing age and they already had Chinglensana Singh too. Four games into the ISL, it looks like a masterstroke. In a season where no side has really found defensive stability yet, Bengaluru have conceded no goals in four games, the first team in ISL history to go through their first four games with four clean sheets.
RA-𝗛𝗨𝗟𝗞 BHEKE! 💪#MCFCBFC #ISL #LetsFootball #ISLonJioCinema #ISLonSports18 #BengaluruFC #RahulBheke #ISLPOTM | @bengalurufc @Sports18 @JioCinema @RahulBheke pic.twitter.com/TLYZ7fKkus
- Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) October 2, 2024
On his return to Mumbai this week, Bheke put in a standout performance at the heart of the defence. He read the game brilliantly, made decisive tackles when needed and was in the right place at the right time. His partnership with Aleks Jovanovic and the protection they receive from Pedro Capo, who's only getting better with every game he's playing, make Bengaluru such a difficult team to break down.
They might have wanted to achieve more in Mumbai than just a 0-0 draw and had their chances as well, but 10 points in four games with no goals conceded is a start to the season that Bengaluru can have few complaints about.
Chennaiyin and Mumbai City need change in balance
It is very unlike both an Owen Coyle team and Mumbai City FC to struggle to score goals consistently. Right now, neither has found a balance between defence and attack this season. Both have played three games so far and when they've scored two goals or more, they've also conceded two goals or more. When they've not conceded a goal, they haven't scored either.
Chennaiyin have picked up just a point from two games against Mohammedan SC and Hyderabad FC, which they will regard as opportunities missed. They didn't create enough chances either.
Mumbai City, meanwhile, huffed and puffed against Bengaluru and couldn't put their opponents under enough pressure while being solid at the back themselves. The combinations between Brandon Fernandes and the rest of the attack hasn't exactly clicked yet, which might be a big reason why they haven't fired as an attacking unit just yet.
Blasters are entertaining, but are they winning enough?
Noah Sadaoui and Jesus Jimenez are a joy to watch as a partnership. They've struck up an understanding so soon, assisting a goal for each other in a 2-2 draw against Odisha FC. However, the concern for Mikael Stahre would be what happened after the two put the Blasters up 2-0.
First, they didn't defend a set-piece well enough and then Diego Mauricio scored to equalise for Odisha as well. Odisha have enough quality, of course, but the Blasters didn't make them work hard enough to come back into the game. Eventually, if not for Odisha's profligate finishing in the second half, the Blasters might not have even ended up with the point that they got.
With Adrian Luna back now, the Blasters attack is in safe hands (feet). But with one less foreigner available for their defence should they fit Luna into the side, Stahre has a big task on his hands in finding that balance.
Hyderabad FC keep getting better every week
Having added more foreigners to their squad in the last couple of weeks, Hyderabad are swiftly becoming a more cohesive team, especially in defence. The inexperience of their young attackers is still showing with their decisions in critical moments, which is why they haven't yet scored a goal this season.
However, the defensive partnership of Alex Saji and Stefan Sapic was outstanding against Chennaiyin FC, as Thangboi Singto's side picked up their first point of the season in their first game at home. With more experience for the youngsters in attack and more sharpness for Cy Goddard and Allan Paulista, they will become a threat going forward too, but being solid at the back is a good foundation for Singto to build on.