Churchill Brothers 2-3 Punjab FC: Key Takeaways from 2026-27 ISL match
Last-minute goal by Konsam Singh seals the victory for The Shers
Punjab FC were able to earn a thrilling 3-2 win over Churchill Brothers in their 2026-27 Indian Super League (ISL) clash at the Fatorda Stadium, Goa, on Sunday (25 October 2026).
The hosts displayed admirable resolve after going behind twice in the first half because of goals from Raphael Messi Bouli (13’) and Alfred Planas (40’), with Sebastian Gutierrez’s brace enabling them to come back.
Both teams huffed and puffed to try to get a winner in the second half. However, it was ultimately the heroics of substitute Konsam Sanathoi Singh, who scored the winning goal in the 95th minute of the game to earn three points for his side.
It was a highly entertaining match between the two sides, with Punjab FC maintaining their winning run in the 2026-27 ISL so far, as well as going joint top of the ISL table, and also causing the hosts to lose their second straight match since their arrival in the league. Here are the talking points from the clash.
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4. Sebastian Gutierrez’s clutch work goes in vain for Churchill Brothers
Sebastian Gutierrez was able to maintain his positive form at the start of the 2026-27 ISL season by getting back to scoring ways for Churchill Brothers in the clash against Punjab FC. After also inspiring their win over Mumbai City FC in the season opener, Gutierrez had a slow outing against East Bengal.
However, he was able to rediscover his spirited nature against Punjab FC and was a thorn in their defenders with his clever movement.
The Colombian attacking midfielder constantly tried to make smart runs into the opposition penalty area, and he timed those runs perfectly. Gutierrez’s clever positioning and ability to finish off chances enabled Churchill Brothers to come back from being down twice in the game.
He worked really hard to try and get his teammates into key goal-scoring areas, but his efforts ended up going to waste as Churchill Brothers lost the game after conceding a last-minute goal.
3. Clutch substitute Sanathoi Singh introduces himself to Indian football in style
After seeing him impress in the last game against Mumbai City – where he bagged an assist – Punjab FC boss Pavlos Dermitzakis decided to bring on Sanathoi Singh at the beginning of the second half itself. The 19-year-old started troubling the defenders from the get-go with some impressive forward runs and moving himself into the danger zones in the final third as well. However, it wouldn’t be until the very end of that match that the teenager would make his mark in the game.
In the 95th minute of the match, Sanathoi scored a stellar goal by latching onto Messi Bouli’s pass and slotting it into the back of the net in splendid fashion. Despite protests from Churchill Brothers’ players that he had committed a handball, it was waved away by the referees, and Sanathoi saw his goal stand.
The 19-year-old now has two goal involvements in his last two appearances as a substitute for Punjab FC and is definitely starting to earn more eyes with his spirited performances in the ISL.
2. Spirited intensity of two attack-minded teams results in ISL thriller
The Churchill Brothers vs Punjab FC clash is definitely one of the most eventful matches that have happened in the 2026-27 ISL campaign so far. The main reason for that is that both sides of players were intent on taking the fight to one another rather than thinking too much about defending.
Even though the defensive work from both teams was questioned in this clash, the thing which made it so entertaining to watch is how open-ended the game really was.
Both sets of players always tried to get the ball into the opposition half as quickly as possible after acquiring it, rather than being slow with the build-up play. Punjab FC, for one, didn’t park the bus at all after taking the lead multiple times in this match – because they were intent on keeping on scoring more goals.
Even Churchill Brothers weren’t satisfied with a point and kept pushing for chances until the very end. Ultimately, Sanathoi Singh’s brilliance settled the game – but this thrilling ISL clash (which had 21 shot attempts and 11 on target) are the kind that will attract more eyes onto the ISL.
1. Inspiring Raphael Messi Bouli continues uplifting Punjab FC’s attacking threat
Raphael Messi Bouli is still going strong at the age of 34 and continues to justify why Punjab FC trusted him to lead their line in the 2026-27 ISL campaign.
The Cameroonian forward blanked in the last game against Mumbai City FC, but proved that it was simply a little blip with an emphatic display against Churchill Brothers. Messi Bouli was anything but static in the frontline for Punjab FC, not being the kind of striker who always wants passes to be served on a plate.
He kept dropping deep into the midfield to drag defenders away from their natural positions and set up open space for his teammates. Not only did he score a great penalty, but Messi Bouli was instrumental in the other goals too.
It was his long-distance shot that found its way to Planas for his goal, before he also played a perfect pass to allow Sanathoi Singh to get his moment of glory. Messi Bouli now has four goal involvements (three goals, one assist) in three appearances in the 2026-27 ISL and is proving to be the decisive factor in Punjab FC’s frontline.
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