Goa, KBFC, BFC, ATKMB players dominate ISL 2022-23 Team of the Week for GW17

There were plenty of notable individual performances that won the hearts of the fans.

The Indian Super League rarely fails to deliver in terms of entertaining football. The ongoing ISL 2022-23 season is approaching the business end and each fixture has huge stakes on the line. Every club is aiming for three points in order to get ahead of the competition and secure a playoff spot.

During this pressure period, a lot of players are stepping up their performances. Be it domestic players or foreign ones, each individual is trying to help the team and contribute towards the collective goal. 

In the past week, football fans saw brilliant individual displays from players who went on to be the difference-makers for their respective clubs.

Here is a look at Khel Now's Team of the Week for Gameweek 17 of the ISL 2022-23 season:

Goalkeeper: Phurba Lachenpa (Mumbai City)

Phurba Lachenpa was in excellent form for Mumbai City in their narrow win over Jamshedpur FC. The custodian made six saves during the game. He was the reason the Islanders remained in the match and were able to mount a late comeback.

Right-back: Asish Rai (ATK Mohun Bagan)

Asish Rai played a key role in enabling ATK Mohun Bagan to win the contest against Odisha FC in the past week. The Mariners won by a 2-0 scoreline and the full-back played his part well, making six interceptions. He was crucial in thwarting away any attacking threat and contributed to the attack too! His cross led to the second goal of the game, thereby awarding Rai an assist.

Centre-back: Hormipam Ruivah (Kerala Blasters)

Hormipam Ruivah looked in exquisite control during Kerala Blasters' 2-0 win over NorthEast United. The centre-back made two clearances and three interceptions in a solid performance. He was crucial in helping KBFC record a clean sheet. 

Centre-back: Sandesh Jhingan (Bengaluru FC)

Sandesh Jhingan was in mindblowing form for Bengaluru FC in their 3-1 win over Chennaiyin FC. It was imperative to secure three points against their direct rivals in the race for ISL playoffs. In a dominating display, Jhingan made 10 clearances and two interceptions.

Left-back:  Sanson Pereira (FC Goa)

Sanson Pereira was one of the best performers in the FC Goa line-up in their fixture against East Bengal. The defender provided an assist during the match. He also made three clearances and left the game with an 82% pass completion rate.

Right winger: Lallianzuala Chhangte (Mumbai City)

Lallianzuala Chhangte’s brilliant season continued as he delivered another impactful performance for MCFC. The winger scored the equalising goal in a 2-1 win over Jamshedpur FC. He later provided the assist for the winning goal as well. Notably, he won the Man of the Match award for his performance yet again.

Central midfielder: Iker Guarrotxena (FC Goa)

Iker Guarrotxena has been impressive in his debut ISL season. However, the FC Goa star found an extra gear in his performance and scored a brilliant hat-trick against East Bengal in a 4-2 win. He also won the Man of the Match award for the first-half hat-trick and became the first individual to score 10 goals in the ISL 2022-23 campaign.

Left winger: Noah Sadaoui (FC Goa)

Noah Sadaoui was another FC Goa player who delivered a bright performance in the past week. The attacker caused plenty of problems with his dribbling and movement. In the end, Sadaoui added two more assists to his overall tally.

Second striker: Sivasakthi Narayanan (Bengaluru FC)

Sivasakthi Narayanan was the pick of the Indian players in the past week across all the games. The forward scored a brace in BFC’s 3-1 win over CFC. He showed an incredible hunger for goals and the opposition could not find a way to silence the ambitious forward. Unsurprisingly, he won the Man of the Match award.

Second striker: Dimitri Petratos (ATK Mohun Bagan)

Dimitri Petratos scored all of the goals in ATK Mohun Bagan’s 2-0 win over Odisha FC. The striker opened the scoring early in the game and netted a second in the second half to secure three points for his club. He won the Man of the Match award and took his goals tally to seven for the ISL 2022-23 season.

Striker: Dimitrios Diamantakos (Kerala Blasters)

In a week that saw the strikers come forward to deliver for their clubs, Dimitrios Diamantakos was not far behind. The striker scored a brilliant brace to help Kerala Blasters win comfortably by a 2-0 scoreline against NorthEast United. He also won the Man of the Match award in the process and his tally stands at nine goals after 15 matches.