ISL Final Talking Points: Keeping Thapa quiet the mantra for ATK?

The Chennaiyin FC midfielder had little influence on the game on Saturday night.

ATK created history at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa on Saturday night as they defeated Chennaiyin FC and became Indian Super League champions for a record third time.

A brace from Javi Hernandez and another goal from Edu Garcia was enough to propel Antonio Habas' side to the trophy, as the only goal for Chennaiyin from Nerijus Valskis remained a consolation.

Here are the talking points from the match:

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5. Did Chennaiyin's wastefulness in front of goal come back to haunt them in the finale?

Valskis was awarded the Golden Boot for his scintillating goalscoring form in the Indian Super League. The Lithuanian striker finished the campaign with 15 goals, tied at the top with Roy Krishna and Bartholomew Ogbeche. However, his six assists meant that the Chennaiyin FC striker edged past the duo. Valskis also scored in the ISL final to keep the Marina Machans in the hunt, but it only turned out to be a consolation.

The 32-year-old is known for his maturity and tremendous ability to find the back of the net in pressure situations. However, on the night, he scuffed many shots wide or was denied by ATK custodian Arindam Bhattacharya.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHzApbqZQWc&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR16ZvXl1EnYv8eJlWHuqn_ahgOTY8kP7XNqU1ukYEvM86vKOlXMnSEmLZU

4. Did keeping Anirudh Thapa at bay make all the difference for ATK?

Anirudh Thapa has been a key factor in Chennaiyin's resurgence under the tutelage of Owen Coyle this season. The India international was crucial in their win against ATK away from home in the league phase, as he managed to muster two assists and guide his side to the ISL playoffs after a torrid start to the campaign.

However, on Saturday it looked like Antonio Habas had rectified his mistake from the earlier game. This time, the ATK midfielders did not allow the youngster to dictate play which hampered Chennaiyin FC's build-up. While Thapa had a great passing accuracy (82%) and worked hard in transition, making important defensive blocks and interceptions, the 22-year-old was not able to create chances which turned the match in ATK's favour. Michael Regin and Javi Hernandez did not allow him much space with the ball, which paid dividends.

3. Did ATK's overseas recruits tilt the balance of the match in their favour?

It is no mystery that ATK are heavily reliant on players like Roy Krishna and Dabid Williams to score. However, the overseas players behind them played an equally important role against Chennaiyin on Saturday night. It was Hernandez who came up with a brace and turned protagonist on the night - helping to pave the path to ATK's third league title.

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Compared to ATK, the majority of Chennaiyin's foreign players did not turn up on the big occasion. The centre-back pairing of Eli Sabia and Lucian Goian were out of sync and did not have their best performance when it was needed. While Golden Boot winner Valskis scored a goal, he missed a ton of chances which came back to haunt his side at the end. All in all, it was undoubtedly a better showing from ATK's overseas stars who made the win possible.

2. Did Owen Coyle miss a trick by excluding in-form Edwin Vanspaul from the starting lineup?

It was shocking to see Edwin Vanspaul's name on the bench on Saturday night, as Coyle preferred Germanpreet Singh over the 27-year-old. It was Vanspaul who made all the difference in the teams' last meeting in the league phase, when they won at the Salt Lake Stadium. In that game, he allowed Thapa and Rafael Crivellaro to venture forward and be more creative, while he carried out the dirty work with aplomb.

Despite his prior performance against ATK, it was Germanpreet who received the nod in the ISL final and succumbed to an early injury in the 22nd minute. When Vanspaul replaced him, the difference in Chennaiyin's gameplay was evident - which might have been an indication to the Scotsman to not tinker with his squad too much on a big occasion.

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1. Did shaky performances in the ISL playoffs act as a timely wake-up call for Arindam Bhattacharya?

Arindam Bhattacharya has been very consistent throughout the season for ATK. But, in the final, he was on a different level altogether. The keeper made a very crucial blunder against Bengaluru FC in the first leg of the playoffs, which resulted in Deshorn Brown scoring a goal. However, Arindam was terrific in the second leg and continued that form in the final as well.

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The 30-year old custodian put up a memorable performance against Chennaiyin FC in the final. His consecutive saves to deny Valskis turned the game on its head, while he also showed great awareness to keep Andre Schembri's header out. Bhattacharya was later awarded the Man of the Match against Chennaiyin, with five crucial saves evidence of his feat.