Mumbai City FC 2-3 SC Delhi: Three major takeaways from ISL 2026-27 clash

Is it the end of Manolo Marquez’s coaching for the Islanders?

Mumbai City FC have slumped to a disappointing 11th position in the Indian Super League (ISL) table after a late loss against SC Delhi at the Mumbai Football Arena on November 1st, 2026.

Despite having a healthy 2-0 lead till the 70th minute of the match, the Islanders, albeit playing an eleven depleted by injuries, conceded three quickfire goals to lose all points from the fixture.

Noufal PN first teed up Muhammad Ajsal and then Zothanpuia in the first half to give Mumbai the lead. However, a flurry of changes made to the Delhi eleven really impacted the rhythm of the game, as four of the five substitutes from SC Delhi’s bench contributed to their three goals.

In this article, let’s take a look at 3 of the major takeaways for Manolo Marquez’s Mumbai City, who are off to a rather rocky start in their ISL campaign.

Noufal PN is an automatic starter.

Five of the front six for Mumbai City FC – the midfield and attack – featured Indians today, which is rare for an ISL team. It had seemed as though Delhi’s defence would have quite a pleasant afternoon at the Mumbai Football Arena. However, Noufal PN ensured that this would not be the case.

Also Read: ISL 2026-27: Lee Erwin, Amrinder Singh lead charge in Team of the Week for Matchweek 4

The ever-so-lively Indian winger proved to be a menace to the Delhi FC backline. He pounced on mistakes made first by Lamgoulen Hamshing and then by Mohamed Azhar to put the ball on a platter for Ajsal and Zothanpuia.

His venom may have reduced in the second half, but he remained a threat throughout, with his speed and crossing ability. His output today must make him an automatic choice for Marquez in the left wing position.

Compliance towards the end

With 20 minutes of play remaining, the sailing seemed quite smooth for Mumbai City FC. They slowed down the play with the plan to choke Delhi SC and force an error as the away side committed bodies forward.

However, when Tomasz Tchorz made the changes, Mumbai couldn’t keep up with the pace and aggression that the likes of Carlos Fortes, Akshat Mehra and Ashutosh Rana brought to the pitch.

Akash Mishra and co., who had settled themselves with the bluntness of the Delhi attack so far, were suddenly chasing shadows. The substitutes allowed Carlos Pena, who had been toothless so far, to play his game, and he did exactly so with a stunning solo goal to seal the victory for Delhi SC.

The Manolo Question

The result leaves Manolo Marquez, who stormed off after the game, in a very uncomfortable position. The results aren’t his fault entirely, especially playing with such a depleted squad, but for a team that has a history of competing for the top prizes, how much more time can be given to the manager?

One could argue that with a string of results like these, the coach for either Mohun Bagan or East Bengal would’ve faced the axe by now, but Manolo comes with proven expertise in this competition.

After playing a lot of games away from home, it seemed as though this would be the fixture that brought the Islanders back on track, at their very own Mumbai Football Arena, but it wasn’t meant to be.

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