How Anwar Ali has bounced back from adversity to orchestrate East Bengal’s comeback
(Courtesy : ISL media)
Anwar Ali has recovered his form and is looking top notch in recent games.
To sum up Anwar Ali’s importance in the East Bengal squad, it’s only fair to reflect on Oscar Bruzon’s claim on the centre-back. After the Red & Gold Brigade’s win over Jamshedpur FC, they are fourth in the last five Indian Super League (ISL) games, Bruzon described Anwar as a top player, a top guy and he’s a team man.’
The road to earning this kind of praise has been a difficult one for the 24-year-old. After his shocking decision to leave Mohun Bagan last summer and join East Bengal in a historic deal that will see him earn 24 crores in salary over five years, the India international earned a lot of criticism and became enemy no.1 for Mohun Bagan.
It’s been a chaotic stint so far for Anwar, who has already faced the lowest of lows and some impressive highs as an East Bengal player. Here we detail how he was able to bounce back from his dark period to becoming East Bengal’s quintessential asset.
Anwar Ali’s difficult first months at East Bengal
After the centre-back opted to end his spell at Mohun Bagan and sign a long-term contract with East Bengal, he was immediately placed in a tricky legal case. There were a lot of twists and turns in that legal case. Ali was initially slapped with a four-month suspension in September for illegally breaking his contract with Mohun Bagan.
That was quickly overturned and Ali was allowed to be registered as an East Bengal player and play for them, while a legal case loomed in the background. Because of all the off-the-field drama, Ali had almost zero pre-season training and that cost him.
Anwar Ali made his debut in East Bengal’s second ISL clash against Kerala Blasters. After a decent start, he was guilty of losing concentration resulting in Kwame Peprah’s 88th-minute winner. He had a shaky outing in East Bengal’s first home game of the season, a 3-2 loss to FC Goa that saw ex-player Boja Herrera score a hattrick.
He did a relatively good job in keeping Jordan Murray quiet on their away trip to Jamshedpur FC but still came up short as East Bengal suffered their fourth straight loss. His horror start for East Bengal was compounded in the 2-0 loss to Mohun Bagan in his first-ever Kolkata Derby, where he was embarrassed by Dimitri Petratos before his penalty.
The Oscar Bruzon affect
Anwar Ali, like many other East Bengal players, saw their spirits uplifted by the arrival of Oscar Bruzon as Carles Cuadrat’s replacement. The Indian centre-back somehow didn’t look comfortable in Cuadrat’s system, mostly because his defensive line barely received enough support from those in front of them.
Even though East Bengal lost their first two games under Bruzon, Ali started gaining a more commanding nature in their backline. His resurgence began in the 2024-25 AFC Challenge League group stages. Ali helped them keep a clean sheet in three games, and was particularly inspiring in the wins over Bashundhara Kings and Nejmeh FC, despite playing as a right-back in those matches.
He helped neutralize the threat of the two foreign teams moving down the wide areas and often moved narrowly to work as a centre-back too. This rise in momentum that East Bengal received from topping their group in the AFC Challenge League had a prominent impact on Ali’s form.
The Indian defender bounced back strongly after their return to ISL action following the continental competition. Ali is now playing with more confidence and swagger, as well as acting as a leader by winning the majority of his duels and moving the ball forward smartly.
He helped East Bengal keep three clean sheets in their last five ISL games. He was particularly impressive in helping his side soak pressure while playing with nine men in the 0-0 draw against Mohammedan Sporting, and also earning wins over NorthEast United and Punjab FC – despite losing a player through red cards in both games.
Anwar was particularly impressive in keeping the dangerous Alaeeddin Ajaraie quiet in the win over NorthEast United FC and also neutralized Daniel Chima Chukwu’s threat in the win over Chennaiyin FC. In the recent win over Jamshedpur, he stole the show from a midfield role to showcase his quality.
Anwar shows off versatility
A major positive about Anwar’s resurgence for East Bengal is how he’s proven himself as an ultimate team player for East Bengal. He’s risen up to solve his manager’s problems by volunteering to fill in key roles that have seen a shortage due to injuries or suspensions.
Anwar played a unique right-back role in the AFC Challenge League. Despite that, he did admirable work in frustrating the speedy wingers of Bashundhara Kings and Nejmeh. He is blessed with enough pace to keep up with forwards, and his excellent game-reading ability helps him be just a step ahead of opposition attackers.
But the 24-year-old has also proven he is more than just a defender. In East Bengal’s last two wins (over Punjab and Jamshedpur FC), he has been slotted into a midfield position. He’s excelled in this defensive midfield role in the absence of Saul Crespo, shielding his backline well and also dictating attacking moves by helping kick off attacks with his crisp passing.
Anwar has helped East Bengal win the midfield battles in the matches he’s played as a makeshift midfielder, showing enough energy and duel-winning ability to be a tormenting factor for the opponents.
Anwar Ali’s heroics for East Bengal so far
In the 11 appearances that he has made for East Bengal in the ISL so far, Anwar has reflected his encouraging form with the suitable numbers. He’s averaged over four possession recoveries, four clearances, and nearly three duels won per game for the Red & Gold Brigade.
Anwar’s impressive passing qualities and distribution ability are also reflected in the fact that he’s averaging 39 passes per game for East Bengal this season. He’s not only a reliable defender who wins the ball back in his own half, but a proactive centre-back who loves marching forward with the ball and playing it into the empty spaces for his attackers to pounce on.
The 24-year-old still has some aspects of his game to improve, which includes maintaining long-term consistency until the end of the season. But his improvement in form over the last few months have shown just how influential and sturdy the real Anwar Ali can be to help solidify the backline of any team.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
- Liverpool vs Leicester City Prediction, lineups, betting tips & odds
- Manchester City vs Everton Prediction, lineups, betting tips & odds
- Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Prediction, lineups, betting tips & odds
- Top nine most memorable games in Premier League Boxing Day history
- Santosh Trophy 2024-25: Full fixtures, schedule, results, standings & more
